The IHS business model is similar to that of the listed US tower companies. We build, buy, own and operate the critical passive infrastructure that allows some of the world’s leading Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to reach the 250 million-plus customers in our coverage area. We enter into long-term contracts with our MNO customers, most of which are investment-grade quality, providing stable visibility into our future performance.
IHS has a strong track record of successfully increasing the number of tenants on each tower and implementing operational efficiencies to maximise the profitability of our towers. Our markets provide strong fundamentals for future growth and we hold the #1 position in each of the markets in which we operate. This puts us in the ideal position to take advantage of future growth, opportunities in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
The business is run by an experienced management team led by its two founders, Executive Vice-Chairman and Group CEO Issam Darwish, and Group Chief Operating Officer William Saad. The broader management team brings 100+ years of business management experience, from within the telecommunications sector and emerging markets generally.
IHS is supported by a group of blue-chip international investors that has invested more than US$3.3 billion to fund our current and future growth initiatives. We have also partnered with some of the leading global financing institutions to fund a significant portion of our growth with debt, and have raised over US$6.5 billion in equity and debt to date. We seek to provide all of our stakeholders with the benefits of emerging markets growth, coupled with the stability of a telecommunications infrastructure business.
An overview of the IHS growth story
Consumers expect, and increasingly rely on, good mobile coverage at all times. They will be loyal to mobile operators that can provide the level of service they demand. We are achieving market-leading network uptime for our mobile network provider customers.