Highlights:

Antin Infrastructure Partners and OpticalTel announced jointly that Antin has acquired a majority stake in OpticalTel, Florida’s premier fiber broadband provider!

Antin Infrastructure Partners and OpticalTel announced that Antin has acquired a majority stake in OpticalTel, Florida’s premier fiber broadband provider. This is Antin’s sixth investment via its mid-cap fund.

OpticalTel, founded in 2004 by Mario Bustamante, is a rapidly expanding provider of essential high-speed internet and telecommunication services, focusing on residential bulk contracts with homeowners and condo-owners associations. Antin’s investment will support the next phase of OpticalTel’s growth as the company strengthens its customer relationships in existing markets, expands its geographic footprint throughout the region and continues to provide exceptional customer service.

Mr. Bustamante will retain a stake in OpticalTel and continue to serve on the Board of Directors. The company will continue to be led by Luis Rodriguez, CEO and President, with the assistance of its seasoned management team. Antin, a seasoned fiber investor, will utilize its knowledge to support OpticalTel’s business plan.

Lazard and RBC Capital Markets advised OpticalTel on financial matters, while Latham & Watkins advised on legal issues. Antin’s financial advisor was TD Securities, while Greenberg Traurig was the legal advisor. Citizens (administrative agent), CIT (a branch of First Citizens Bank) and TD Securities arranged debt financing.

The Expert’s Take

Kevin Genieser, the Senior Partner at Antin, stated, “We see this partnership with the OpticalTel team as an immense growth opportunity. Fiber is at the core of modern infrastructure, providing mission-critical, low-latency bandwidth services to a customer base that has increasing demand for data. We believe OpticalTel is well-positioned to meet this need in the fast-growing Florida market.”

Luis Rodriguez, CEO and President of OpticalTel, commented, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Antin as we enter the next chapter of OpticalTel’s journey. The strength of our relationships in the region speaks to our ability to deliver best-in-class technology and connectivity to our customers. With Antin’s support, we are excited to scale and continue executing at the highest level for those we serve.”

Mario Bustamante, Founder of OpticalTel, said, “Since founding OpticalTel 18 years ago, I have sought to provide essential connectivity services to those in my community. I am grateful to all those that helped build OpticalTel over the years and for Antin’s commitment to support the team going forward.”