Potential windfall for Mayo sports clubs with telecoms towers

Mayo sports clubs which host telecommunications towers on their grounds could be in line to fund massive improvements thanks to a new up-front payment programme.

Vantage Towers, one of Europe’s leading mobile communication infrastructure providers, is offering clubs and other telecommunications site providers, who currently receive rental payments from the company, the option to avail of upfront payments instead.

Under the Optimise Programme, clubs can quickly free up capital to help to fund new clubhouses, dressing rooms or artificial pitches.

Sports clubs are increasingly hosting communications towers, helping to improve connectivity in their areas and gaining a source of ongoing income for a relatively small land footprint.

Banteer Community Sportsfield CLG in Cork has received an upfront payment from Vantage Towers, enabling them to raise vital capital funding towards their new community development.

“Entering into a long-term lease agreement with Vantage Towers, in preference to receiving a rental payment, meant that our community benefitted on the double,” said Banteer CLG secretary Denis Withers.

“We have built a full-sized astro pitch for all sports to use, as well as changing and spectators facilities, a café, museum and a digital hub – this new centre provides a real recreation and social and meeting point for our community of 800 people.

“The tower has also meant a major improvement in mobile phone and broadband coverage in the local area.”

Brian McHugh, managing director, Vantage Towers Ireland, said that the company wanted to optimise the income that the company’s site providers can receive.

“As an alternative to our current rental agreements, we are proposing three capitalisation options to suit varying needs,” said Mr. McHugh.

“Each is designed to help sporting clubs or people with towers on their properties to realise degrees of liquidity, potentially freeing up capital for a variety of uses.

“While this will obviously involve a compelling financial offer, giving our customers a long-term commitment also allows Vantage Towers to plan the future development of our network.

“This is an opportunity to do a deal with a company that has a unique interest in developing infrastructure and a long history of partnership with landlords in Ireland.

“This is not a quick turnaround investment, it is part of a long-term strategy of connecting communities and encouraging economic and social development.”

Vodafone established Vantage Towers as a standalone company to own, manage, and add to the physical network it has constructed over the last 30 years.

Vantage Towers now manages over 1,300 sites in Ireland – and 85,000 sites across Europe – connecting people, businesses and devices for multiple providers in an infrastructure sharing model.

The company has introduced the Optimise options with the aim of connecting rural communities, encouraging development and enabling job creation.

The Optimise Programme offers three options to Vantage Towers landlords. Vantage Towers can offer to purchase the freehold on the tower site, or enter into a long-term lease agreement, for example, 30-50 years with an upfront payment.

They can also enter into a medium-term lease agreement over 15-20 years with an upfront payment.

For more information on the Optimise Programme see vantagetowers.ie or contact optimise@vantagetowers.com.