Lumen Enters into Agreement Regarding Divestiture of EMEA Business to Colt Technology Services for $1.8B

Transaction will strengthen Lumen’s financial situation and sharpen strategic concentration

DENVER and LONDON, Nov. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Lumen Systems (NYSE: LUMN) and Colt Technological innovation Providers (Colt), a electronic infrastructure corporation, announce these days they have entered into an exclusive arrangement for the proposed sale of Lumen’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) small business to Colt for $1.8 billion. This represents a pretty desirable many (~11x) for Lumen’s EMEA small business and will develop further value for its shareholders. Far more info on this transaction can be uncovered in Lumen’s 8-K to be contemporaneously submitted with this release.

The envisaged transaction is matter to customary disorders and would involve the divestiture by Lumen of its EMEA enterprise, which includes its terrestrial and subsea networks, data facilities and community equipment in the location to London-headquartered Colt. On completion, the transaction will additional Lumen’s strategic focus on investing in main organizations that are envisioned to travel extensive-phrase, lucrative growth.

Added benefits to Lumen:

• Acquire cost represents a sturdy ~11x several of the EMEA business’s approximated 2021 adjusted EBITDA.
• Added funds and a streamlined portfolio will drive additional focused investments on organization growth and help preserve Lumen’s powerful stability sheet.
• The terms of the transaction allow Lumen to go on to provide multinational enterprise shoppers as a result of its strategic partnership with Colt.

“We are continuing to execute on portfolio optimization at Lumen, building additional value for our shareholders by monetizing non-strategic belongings at accretive multiples,” said Lumen President and CEO Jeff Storey. “This transaction would enrich our concentration so we can commit additional proficiently in our most strategic prospects – our essential Company and Quantum Fiber initiatives – and companion with regional leaders like Colt in Europe and Cirion in Latin The usa to go on serving our multinational enterprise customers.”

“This transaction would mark the upcoming chapter in Colt’s exciting tale of world wide expansion and earth-course innovation,” mentioned Keri Gilder, CEO, Colt Technology Expert services. “We are deeply committed to building amazing connections for our people today, prospects and companions throughout our electronic infrastructure. This acquisition would bolster and extend these connections across current and new geographies, supporting us to speed up advancement and convey the power of the electronic universe nearer to our prospects.”

Known for its motivation to customer experience and its market-top environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, Colt is a global electronic infrastructure small business with around 60 places of work close to the world. The transaction will extend Colt’s infrastructure to new geographic markets, boosting the expert services and capabilities it delivers to world enterprises and strategic companions.  

Added benefits to Colt:

• Extends Colt’s network into further international locations, European metropolitan areas and facts centers, supplying organizations all through Europe expanded fiber network connectivity.
• Gives Colt entry to a whole vary of product or service alternatives for diversified Company, Hyperscaler, Govt and Wholesale buyers.
• Positions Colt to meet growing business and international IP targeted traffic in EMEA by means of intensive terrestrial and subsea achieve.

Strategic partnership

Most of Lumen’s EMEA staff would be a part of Colt soon after the transaction closes. Colt and Lumen will set up a strategic relationship that will allow Lumen to keep on offering a seamless experience for its multinational buyers with demands in EMEA. The partnership will also make it possible for Colt to continue serving the requirements of the EMEA-based mostly shoppers with assistance desires outside the house of EMEA.

“Lumen has a strong fascination in Colt’s good results, and we anticipate to stay a close company companion and critical purchaser,” said Storey. “Colt’s powerful status and client focus make them the excellent companion to serve the requires of our buyers, and we assume to continue to be Colt’s husband or wife of decision for their customers’ desires in North The usa.”

“Colt and Lumen share values, and a drive to deliver superb shopper working experience,” stated Gilder. “This mixture is driven by amazing folks and remarkable infrastructure and is influenced by technology’s capability to alter the way we stay and operate.”

Lumen and Colt envisage the transaction would near as early as late 2023 on receipt of all regulatory approvals in the U.S. and selected nations around the world exactly where Colt operates, as very well as the gratification of other customary ailments.

The invest in agreement has a variety of customary covenants for transactions of this variety, such as numerous indemnities and order value adjustments.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is performing as monetary advisor to Lumen in connection with the transaction, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is serving as authorized advisor to Lumen. Evercore Team L.L.C. is acting as financial advisor to Colt in connection with the transaction and Baker & McKenzie LLP is serving as legal advisor to Colt.

About Lumen
Lumen is guided by our perception that humanity is at its greatest when know-how advancements the way we are living and get the job done. With roughly 400,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the swiftest, most protected platform for programs and details to assist companies, government and communities provide awesome encounters.

Study a lot more about the Lumen community, edge cloud, safety, communication and collaboration alternatives and our purpose to further more human progress as a result of engineering at information.lumen.com/household, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies and YouTube: /lumentechnologies. Lumen and Lumen Technologies are registered trademarks in the United States.

About Colt

Colt Know-how Expert services (Colt) is a world electronic infrastructure organization which creates incredible connections to assist firms do well. Driven by like-minded associates and remarkable people, Colt is driven by its function: to put the power of the digital universe in the fingers of its prospects, wherever, even so and anytime they pick.  

Given that 1992, Colt has set alone apart as a result of its deep commitment to its prospects, developing from its heritage in the Town of London to far more than 60 places of work about the entire world. The highly effective Colt IQ Network connects 222 cities and 32 countries with much more than 1000 data centres, 51 Metropolitan Place Networks and above 31,000 structures throughout Europe, Asia and North America’s biggest business hubs. Privately owned, Colt is one of the most monetarily seem companies in the sector. 

Obsessed with offering field-leading purchaser working experience, Colt is guided by its commitment to shopper innovation, by its values and its responsibility to its consumers, associates, folks and earth.  

For far more data, please pay a visit to www.colt.internet 

Forward-searching Statements Besides for the historic and factual details contained herein, the issues set forth in this press launch, together with statements about the expected transaction proceeds, timing and positive aspects of the proposed transactions, and other statements discovered by phrases such as “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “strategies,” “intends,” “will” and equivalent expressions, are forward-looking statements in just the meaning of the “protected harbor” provisions of the Non-public Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of dangers, uncertainties and assumptions, quite a few of which are outside of our handle. True occasions and success might vary materially from these predicted, approximated or projected if a person or more of these hazards or uncertainties materialize, or if fundamental assumptions demonstrate incorrect. Aspects that could have an effect on true effects consist of but are not confined to: the ability of the get-togethers to well timed and properly obtain the needed approvals of regulatory companies the possibility that the anticipated advantages from the proposed transaction are not able to be realized in the fashion contemplated the likelihood that it may perhaps be additional complicated than expected to segregate the Company’s EMEA enterprise from its other enterprises in relationship with the Divestiture the possibility that the post-closing business associations between the events will not function in the manner at the moment contemplated the chance that the Organization may be necessary to pay higher than expected tax payments, to make unanticipated payments beneath the transaction agreements or to normally receive less internet income proceeds than predicted the risk that the Firm’s shoppers, sellers or employees could react unfavorably to the Divestiture alterations in the Firm’s money necessities, economical placement or enterprise, operational or fiscal options the results of competitiveness from a extensive wide range of aggressive providers the purchaser’s skill to successfully sustain the excellent of its item and support offerings and to introduce new choices on a well timed and price-efficient foundation and other risk aspects and cautionary statements as comprehensive from time to time in the Firm’s reviews filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Fee. There can be no assurance that the Company’s proposed Divestiture of its EMEA business will in point be consummated in the method explained or at all. You need to be conscious that new things may emerge from time to time, and it is not achievable for us to identify all these kinds of variables, nor can we predict the influence of each this sort of issue on the proposed transaction. You really should not place undue reliance on these forward-on the lookout statements, which speak only as of the date of this push release. Except if lawfully required, the Organization undertakes no obligation and expressly disclaims any this kind of obligation to update publicly any forward-wanting statements, irrespective of whether as a outcome of new details, long run occasions or otherwise. On top of that, any facts about our intentions contained in any of our ahead-seeking statements displays our intentions as of the date of this sort of ahead-seeking assertion, and is centered on, between other issues, regulatory, technological, industry, competitive, financial and industry situations, and our associated assumptions, as of these kinds of day. We may change our intentions, procedures or strategies without the need of observe at any time and for any purpose.

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