Linklaters advises Cube Infrastructure Managers' on raising additional financing to support RuNe in its cross-border FttH network

Linklaters advised Cube Infrastructure Managers', an Independent Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM), in securing a €130 million debt facility for RuNe, its high capacity fiber network builder and operator (FttH for Fiber to the Home) in Croatia and Slovenia, via Connecting Europe Broadband Fund (CEBF), a fund dedicated to greenfield investments in broadband infrastructure projects.

The financing was subscribed with various banks and financial institutions including, in particular, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

This new financing will allow RuNe to support its ambition to provide ultra-fast broadband optical infrastructure to all users in rural areas in Slovenia and parts of Croatia. 

RuNe intends to deploy an FttH network in Croatia for 133,000 residential, business and public administration premises in the rural areas of Primorje-Gorski Kotarand Istria regions, the two north-western counties. RuNe Slovenia is also to deploy a high-quality FttH network passing through 229,000 homes. Both projects will become the first cross-border open-access FttH network in the EU.

The Linklaters team was led in Paris by Darko Adamovic, partner, along with Alex Bluett, managing associate, Etienne Paletto, Youssef Berrada, Abdullah Konate, associate in Energy and Infrastructure. The Linklaters Luxembourg team was also involved.