QMC stepping up LatAm investments to benefit from 5G

Wireless digital infrastructure operator QMC will invest US$60mn this year in network infrastructure in Latin America, the largest amount in its history.

The company estimates that it has invested US$600mn in the five countries in which it operates since 2011. QMC develops, owns, acquires and manages sites, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and street level solutions (SLS), among others, in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.

“Brazil and Mexico are our biggest markets today, followed by Colombia. With the arrival of 5G and the good financial health of most operators, we see a lot of potential across the continent,” Víctor Lozada, who heads the Mexico office, told BNamericas.

Lozada said current networks will require greater densification through DAS and SLS to support 5G. By using higher frequencies, 5G signals may have more difficulty overcoming obstacles such as walls and windows, requiring indoor solutions.

The company claims to be working with the largest operators in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.

“Neutral hosts enable operators to access infrastructure to develop their networks, without depending on numerous resources to build them. In this way, we help our clients to change high initial capex to low opex in the long term,” Lozada said.

QMC's growth is leveraged by credit lines from financial entities such as IDB, Proparco, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Bradesco BBI, Itaú BBA and MUFG, totaling US$365mn.

A US$115mn credit line from Deutsche Bank and IDB Invest will be used to support 4G and 5G infrastructure investments, while a US$65mn IDB and Proparco loan will be used for investments in Mexico, Colombia and Peru.

The company expects to achieve double-digit growth this year.

MEXICO

In Mexico, QMC has contributed to the installation of 100 telecoms towers in 32 locations for the Internet para Todos project of state power company CFE.

"We hope that the next government will continue with the project, which plans to install 2,800 telecoms towers, benefiting 6.4mn people in rural communities across the country," Lozada said.

The company, which has been present in Mexico for 12 years, has also been responsible for interior coverage of buildings such as the Koi Tower in Monterrey, Chapultepec Uno in Mexico City and camouflaged coverage at El Dorado Golf & Beach Club in Los Cabos.

It has also brought coverage to the tourist areas of Chileno Bay, Riviera Nayarit and Costa Palma.

In Latin America, it has contracts to provide coverage for Rosewood, One&Only and Four Seasons hotels.