The value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the global telecommunications sector rose significantly in the first quarter of the year, increasing nearly tenfold compared to the same period in 2023, reaching nearly $21 billion (€19.6 billion), driven in particular by corporate… European. companies, according to a report by Bain & Company, a consulting firm.

The global telecom sector recorded a significant increase in the value of its transactions (mergers and acquisitions or M&A) during the first quarter of 2024, especially thanks to the boost from the European market, which represented 63% of the total, according to a report by consulting firm Bain & Company. The study reveals that the volume increased from $2.2 billion (€2 billion) in the first quarter of 2023 to nearly $21 billion (€19.6 billion) in the same period in 2024, representing an 840% growth.

In the first quarter of the year, the largest deal in Europe was Swisscom, which acquired Vodafone Italia for $8.7 billion (€8.1 billion) to merge it with Swisscom’s Italian subsidiary FastWeb. The study shows that large transactions accounted for about half of the total value, in contrast to the same period two years ago, when they accounted for less than a quarter.

However, the value of the first quarter of 2024 is still less than the $35 billion (32.6 billion euros) of the last quarter of 2023, although this value, for the last period of 2023, was strongly affected by the high amount of fixed network sales. For Telecom Italia. In fact, two-thirds of that $35 billion came from Telecom Italia's $23.3 billion deal to sell its fixed network business to KKR. Spain also played a major role in this period, as the British investment fund Zigona acquired Vodafone for $5.3 billion (€4.9 billion).