IHS Brazil Invests in Connectivity Modernization Across 27 Shopping Centers

September 03, 2025, São Paulo: IHS Brazil, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) ("IHS Towers") group, one of the world's largest independent owners, operators and developers of shared communications infrastructure by tower count, continues to advance one of its main shopping center connectivity modernization projects in Brazil. The company is investing in the implementation of 5G Distributed Antenna System (DAS) technology in 27 shopping centers across 12 states and the Federal District.

The initiative, which began in August 2024, has already delivered the updated DAS technology to 16 sites and is expected to be completed during 2026. Shopping centers in scope include those owned by Ancar, Carrefour Property and Partage Malls, benefiting, on average, approximately 734,000 visitors per month¹.

The new solution encompasses all of the necessary infrastructure, including fiber optics, technical support and optimization of power distribution, and is fully equipped to help Brazil’s largest MNOs serve fast and reliable 5G connectivity. It is expected to support an average capacity of 22 MB per user, totaling approximately 17 terabytes of data trafficked monthly. In each shopping center, an average of 19 antennas will be installed to ensure uniform coverage and more stable signal.

This technology is helping to address the main connectivity challenges in shopping centers, such as inconsistent network coverage, which can produce dead spots, and overload during peak hours. The new inbuilding system offers the speed and capacity to support a high number of simultaneous users. It also frees real estate owners from the responsibility of managing their own connectivity infrastructure, with the attendant costs, increasingly frequent updates, and compliance obligations under the Brazilian General Data Protection Regulation. By directing traffic straight to operators' networks, the 5G DAS-based model reduces risks related to data management and increases service reliability.

For retailers, the benefits of 5G DAS technology include optimized operations through process automation, real-time inventory control, more efficient payment systems, advanced monitoring and security systems and new opportunities for digital marketing and virtual events.

For consumers and shopping center visitors, it will help enable innovative applications such as augmented and virtual reality for product testing and other interactive experiences through smart kiosks, more agile and secure mobile payments, and high-speed mobile connectivity.

Alexandre Katz, Director of Operations, IHS Brazil, commented, "This is one of our largest scale initiatives in the shopping center segment. The deployment of 5G DAS technology at 16 shopping centers so far represents an important step in the digitalization of services and a natural evolution of DAS connectivity. Through this technology, we are helping create a more modern and future-proof infrastructure that will transform both the consumer experience and the operations of retailers".

[1] Brazilian Association of Shopping Centers - average visitors per month, per shopping center. 

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About IHS Towers: IHS Towers is one of the world's largest independent owners, operators and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count and is solely focused on the emerging markets. The company has over 39,000 towers across its eight markets, including Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia. For more information, please email: communications@ihstowers.com or visit: www.ihstowers.com