Category: News

Emitel has signed a new Loan Facilities Agreement with a consortium of leading Polish and international banks, under which it has secured financing of up to PLN 1.57 billion of financing. The Agreement includes a Senior Secured term loan, a Capex Facility, and a Revolving Credit Facility. The consortium of Lenders includes those in the Company’s existing Facility Agreement together with new Financial Institutions.

The term loan tranches will be used to retire 2020 Facility, and the investment and revolving tranche will be applied to finance the company’s operational activities and investments, and acquisition plans. The agreement will mature in the second half of 2030. The closing of the transaction and the commencement of financing will take place when standard closing conditions are satisfied.

We are delighted with the support and recognition received from some of the leading Banks in Europe with respect to Emitel. Emitel is national champion in Poland with an outstanding management team, and continues to perform admirably. We look forward to working with Company and this group of institutions in the future to spur further growth of Emitel – said Steven Marshall, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Emitel S.A.

In recent years, Emitel has been implementing several strategic projects which have absorbed significant investments. One of the most important and at the same time most complicated projects was the process of refarming the 700 MHz band and changing the standard of digital terrestrial television broadcasting. The project, which has been implemented for over 3 years, is of fundamental importance for the television market and the future of the terrestrial television platform in Poland. Emitel also pursued a strategy for the segment of telecommunications services and infrastructure, consistently expanding the portfolio of high-altitude facilities. In June this year, Emitel acquired ATC Polska with 65 modern telecommunication towers. Currently, the company has 667 high-facilities objects and intends to continue to develop the base of facilities in Poland, nor does it exclude further acquisitions.

– The Company’s financing strategy assumes a successive reduction in the debt ratios of the company, and at the same time provides funds for development. We have obtained favorable conditions for the company, giving us space to operate efficiently for the next several years. I thank all the funding institutions for their trust and positive assessment of the company’s strategy and plans for growth beyond the current decade – said Maciej Pilipczuk, CFO, Member of the Management Board of Emitel S.A.

The consortium with which the agreement was signed included: Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A., PKO Bank Polski S.A., Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, PZU S.A., Bank Pekao S.A. (also acting as a Credit Agent and Security Agent), DNB Bank ASA, BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A., Credit Agricole Bank Polska S.A., Bank Ochrony Środowiska S.A. and Alior Bank S.A.

 

Emitel S.A. has acquired American Towers Corporation’s fully owned subsidiary in Poland (ATC Polska).

ATC Polska’s portfolio comprises of 65 modern lattice towers which are leased to leading MNO tenants via inflation-linked contracts with long tenors (average 14 years remaining on tenant lease agreements). The portfolio is distributed in attractive locations which complements Emitel’s existing network and has a low tenancy ratio providing available load capacity for additional lease customers.

The addition of ATC Polska increases Emitel’s total site portfolio to 667, of which over 635 will host telecom equipment. This further strengthens Emitel’s Telecom Infrastructure segment, where the Company is a leading independent developer and operator of telecom infrastructure and provides site hosting and other services to MNOs such as Orange, Polkomtel, Play and T -Mobile.

Andrzej Kozlowski, Chief Executive Officer at Emitel said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of ATC Polska. This portfolio is highly complementary to Emitel’s and this transaction will allow us to deepen our relationship with key MNOs and bolster our high-growth Telecoms Infrastructure segment.”

Emitel is the largest operator of digital terrestrial television (“DTT”) as well as IPTV platforms, the leading radio broadcast emissions provider and a leading provider of network neutral towers and fibre infrastructure in Poland.

In a report published just now, Emitel summarized the actions it took in 2022 in the areas of ESG, i.e. environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

2022 was a very intensive year for Emitel, both strategically and operationally. The company gained a new owner, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited, a fund that invests in digital infrastructure assets in the UK, Europe, and North America. In the middle of the year, Emitel ended refarming the 700 MHz band and changing the standard of digital terrestrial television broadcasting. It was one of the most complex and demanding projects in the company’s history, and nearly 300 experts worked on it for 130,000 man-hours.

Environmental, social, and corporate governance concerns are the standards by which business leaders operate. Such ideas are also important for the company, which has been appreciated, because Emitel in the periodic survey GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) was among the best companies among the 649 participating in the study, earning 93 points and finishing 5^th in its category.

– Social responsibility, environmental concerns, respect for, and adherence to the highest standards of corporate governance have been our priority for years. We focus on the development of our employees, paying particular attention to initiatives supporting equal opportunities in the framework of internal promotions, or equal pay for women and men. We are actively involved in charities and employee volunteering. We have also been focusing on cooperation with science for years, supporting selected cultural events and sports initiatives. As usual, we wanted to shed more light on these actions in our annual ESG report. – said Andrzej J. Kozłowski, President of the Management Board, Emitel S.A.

Last year, the company undertook numerous initiatives in support of war-torn Ukraine and refugees residing in Poland. In cooperation with Polish broadcasters, Emitel launched radio and television broadcasts in Ukrainian and adapted one of the administrative buildings in Poznań, which is used by mothers with children seeking refuge from the war. Importantly, the finishing works were carried out by the employees themselves of Emitel as part of the employee volunteering. The transfer of several batches of radiotelecommunication equipment for the reconstruction of the broadcasting network in Ukraine has made it possible to resume and maintain a stable transmission of the television signal in the liberated areas of Ukraine.

Emitel is continuously raising its standards of human capital management. For the attention to the well-being of employees, close communication, and creating opportunities for their development, Emitel has been awarded the title of Top Employer Polska for the fourth time. In turn, the Responsible Business Forum in its report presented further good CSR practices taken by Emitel, such as counteracting improper behavior and abuse, equal opportunities in the workplace, health, and safety at work, social dialog within the company, development, and education, digitalization of workplace, Mindfulness Academy or health promotion. The CSR Silver Leaf was awarded to the company for its activities in the field of sustainable development, environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance

Polish version:  https://www.emitel.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Raport-ESG_Emitel_2022.pdf 

English version: here

 

 

 

Under the signed agreement, Emitel together with the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) will carry out a pilot implementation of the system of advertising spot broadcasting in the DAI model. The project will test the functionality and efficiency of the system. The scope of the tests will cover chosen types of digital TV platforms in Poland. Implementation will begin in the second half of March.

For many years, Emitel has been developing products of so-called hybrid TV, including Addressable TV solutions. One such solution is the DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion) platform, which allows, among others, the placement of specific spots in advertising blocks based on predefined criteria. In practice, this means that viewers will see different advertising spots when they watch a TV channel during the broadcast of an advertising block. This solution allows the TV screens to show at the same time various content adapted to the viewer (the condition is to connect the TV set to the Internet).

– The WSE aims to build a comprehensive technology platform that will enable the implementation of the service of dynamic insertion of television advertising, i.e. DAI. The system is to function in digital terrestrial television, cable networks, satellite networks, and streaming platforms. It will allow broadcasters to convert their TV advertising spots into tailored ones. Together with Emitel, we are launching the implementation and testing of the system’s functionality. Advertising will be carried out on decoders to eventually build a nationwide reach and allow advertisers to design campaigns and match content through our system, using devices that are located in households. This is the basic distinguishing feature of our project. By testing different technologies, we want to make sure that we can build the widest possible range of devices in different operators across the country – emphasized Maciej Stanecki, Vice-President of the Management Board of GPW DAI S.A.

With the system, advertising campaigns will reach specific audiences that meet specific segmentation criteria. The use of this technology for advertising may in the future provide an attractive added value for advertisers, who will be able to run advertising campaigns more effectively, along the lines of what is already available on the Internet.

First of all, there will be a pilot implementation of the system of advertising spot broadcasting in the DAI model – Emitel has just signed a contract with the Warsaw Stock Exchange for its implementation. The pilot will aim to test the functionality and effectiveness of DAI in all types of digital TV platforms in Poland. As part of the project, Emitel is responsible for the installation and configuration of the system, which will be connected to the infrastructure provided by the WSE. Implementation of the solution and tests will begin in the second half of March and will include terrestrial, cable, satellite television, and IPTV. If the tests are successful, WSE intends to launch a commercial DAI platform in Poland next year.

– Emitel has been working on the implementation of DAI technology for several years. Working with TV broadcasters, we understand how this solution can be a breakthrough for our partners. In a tough advertising market, DAI opens up new opportunities for much more efficient use of advertising time, which should translate into better financial results for broadcasters, while allowing viewers to avoid seeing ads they are not interested in. We are all the more pleased that such a serious player as the Warsaw Stock Exchange is trying to build this solution on the market in Poland and that we can be part of this undertaking and create such modern solutions in our country. It is also worth emphasizing that the platform we will be implementing covers all digital ways of distributing television channels, not just digital terrestrial television – emphasized Maciej Staszak, Vice-President of the Management Board of Emitel S.A.

Emitel will build a monitoring system for 1,000 parking spaces in Ostrow Wielkopolski, commissioned by the Municipal Road Administration. An Internet of Things based technology will help drivers find available parking spaces faster.

Emitel will build a network and install 1,000 parking sensors in the city’s six parking lots and 10 smart information boards. The sensors will have two independent systems for vehicle detection in parking spaces – radar and magnetic. As part of the cooperation with the MRA in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Emitel will also implement an IT system to manage the solution.

The parking space monitoring system will use the LoRaWAN and GSM networks for communication with the information boards. Additionally, it will be possible to make the information on free parking spaces available to dedicated parking apps.

“Ostrów Wielkopolski wants to become a Smart City that is increasingly friendly to its residents. By implementing a system for monitoring parking spaces in our city, we are improving the quality of life for its residents, but also creating infrastructure that allows better management of the city. The system will make it easier to find a parking space. It will be expandable as the needs increase,”- said Mikołaj Kostka, Deputy President of Ostrów Wielkopolski.

The system will cost almost PLN 1.7 million to build. The money comes entirely from European Union financing, from the project entitled ‘E-Ostrów 2050 – Ecological, Energy, Economic City’, and from the government budget.

“We are extremely pleased that Ostrów Wielkopolski has decided to build a system that is already working perfectly in other places in Poland. We are convinced that the implementation of the Smart City concept can provide tangible benefits for residents, public administration units, and private companies, and at the same time we are proud that Emitel’s solutions significantly contribute to the development of Smart Cities in Poland,” This solution will not only help to more quickly locate free parking spaces, but it will also reduce the traffic of cars circulating in search of a vacant parking space. In addition, less driving means less CO2 emissions, which also means cleaner air” –  emphasized Maciej Staszak, the Vice President of the Management Board of Emitel S.A.

Smart City projects implemented by Emitel

Emitel has extensive experience in the development of Smart City solutions. It was one of the first companies to launch innovative projects in cooperation with local governments. Within the LoRaWAN network provided by the company, local governments can implement solutions that improve the standard of living of their residents, help reduce pollution, and support the management of urban resources. Emitel has already implemented advanced Smart City solutions in Wrocław and Piaseczno, among other locations.

In Wrocław, Emitel has built an innovative system for remote reading of parameters from water meters for the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company (MPWiK). This is the first Smart City project of this scale in Poland that uses the LoRaWAN network. The project included a network that covered the entire city of Wrocław. Emitel provides maintenance and operation of the entire system. The expected results include significant savings in infrastructure management costs, as well as a lower burden on residents who use the city’s water supply services. These types of solutions even allow each household to control water consumption individually, for example by using a simple smartphone application.

On January 31, 2023, Telewizja Polska S.A. signed an agreement with Emitel S.A., a technical operator of terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure, for the transmission of the signal of the Sixth Multiplex (MUX-6). The agreement is valid for four years and will enter into force on February 1, 2023.

MUX-6 will cover 96% of the country’s population. The new MUX-6 multiplex is the second (near MUX-3) terrestrial multiplex, which contains only the program offer of the public broadcaster.

All viewers of digital terrestrial television will be able to benefit from the new multiplex. – The entire program offer of MUX-6 is widely available and free of charge in high definition (HD). The launch of the new digital multiplex is in line with the mission of Telewizja Polska S.A. to make its program offer as widely available as possible. In the new multiplex, viewers of digital terrestrial television will be able to watch, among others, thematic channels such as TVP Kultura, TVP Dokument, TVP Kobieta, TVP Polonia, TVP Nauka or TVP Nauka – emphasizes Marcin Klepacki, Director of Distribution Office at TVP S.A.

– Terrestrial television is extremely popular in Poland. The change of broadcasting technology to a more efficient DVB-T2/HEVC standard has created the opportunity to improve the quality of the image and sound of the programs broadcast so far and to provide space for the launch of new TV programs. Therefore, we encourage all viewers who have not yet adapted their TVs to receive the new standard to replace the TV set or to stock up with the appropriate set-top box. We are glad that Telewizja Polska decided to use the possibility of expanding the program offer and that it decided to cooperate in this regard with Emitel – said Maciej Staszak, Vice-president of the Management Board, Chief Sales Officer at Emitel.

Telewizja Polska together with the dynamically developing media market expands its program offer with new programs. New frequency resources are therefore needed to provide an ever-expanding offer to viewers.

The MUX-6 broadcast is carried out from 63 broadcast stations and to have access to the offer of MUX-6 digital terrestrial television viewers can use their existing receiving antennas. For areas where the TVP S.A. test multiplex was not present, TV sets should automatically search for new programs from the MUX-6 multiplex. Should this not happen, you should scan your set to find new programs from the program offer of Telewizja Polska S.A.

New broadcast stations that will complement the MUX-6 broadcast network in relation to the network of the test multiplex are: Płock/Radziwie, Wałbrzych/Chełmiec, Dobromierz, Różan near Maków Mazowiecki, Gniezno/Dębowiec, Świerczów near Namysłów, Skierniewice/Bartniki, Tarnobrzeg/Machów, Włodawa, Łomża, Kamieńsk/Zwałowisko near Radomsko, Chruszczewka near Sokołów Podlaski, and Sieciechów near Kutno.

Emitel has successfully obtained a certificate confirming the compliance of its Environmental Management System with the PN-EN ISO14001:2015 international standard. The certification process was preceded by extensive efforts to implement the system, develop and gather the required documentation, as well as internal audits, which took several months. The final element of the process, the certification audits conducted by PCC-CERT, an independent certification body, confirmed that Emitel meets the environmental requirements outlined by the standard.

The ISO14001:2015 standard specifies standardised environmental management guidelines and policies, which can be implemented in any organisation, regardless of the sector and the area of its operation. The document is centred around the idea of sustainable development – it assumes conducting operations in a way that ensures a proper balance between social expectations, environmental protection and a business-oriented approach.

Emitel has been following these principles long before making the decision to implement the system, pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals and reporting on the achieved results in its ESG reports. The key environmental aspect, which follows from the company’s core business of providing terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure operator services and the resulting emissions of electromagnetic fields is monitored and controlled at each stage of project implementation. Emitel puts every effort to ensure that the company’s operations in this field have the least possible impact on the surrounding environment.

“Taking care of the environment is our top priority. In order to increase the effectiveness of our activities in this area, as well as to minimise our negative impact, we decided to implement a system based on an international environmental standard that enjoys worldwide recognition. The successful implementation of the environmental management system was made possible mainly thanks to the collaboration and commitment of employees, and I would like to thank every person involved in this process. The regular monitoring of the outcomes of our environmental activities, the implementation of the goals we set for ourselves, as well as compliance with the requirements of the standard, allows us to keep a close eye on the results and opens various avenues to improve them in the future,” said Andrzej J. Kozłowski – President of the Management Board of Emitel S.A.

The overarching goal of the environmental management system is safeguarding the environment by minimising the negative impact of the company’s processes and operations. Implementing the ISO 14001:2015 standard brings a number of environmental, organizational and economic benefits. Thanks to an efficient environmental management system, Emitel is able to further reduce emissions of harmful substances and waste production, while improving waste management processes and limiting the company’s water use and wastewater production.

The certificate obtained by Emitel is valid for 3 years. The ISO 14001 standard provides for continuous improvement in the effectiveness of an environmental management system implemented by the company. The structure of the standard and the resulting systemic approach results directly from the so-called PDCA cycle – a model for optimising and improving processes in an organization.