Top telecom mergers and acquisitions of 2026
Every verified merger and acquisition in the telecom sector in this period, ranked by disclosed value. Updated every morning.
We tracked 26 deals in the telecom sector in 2026, 21 of them with a disclosed value, worth $84.5bn in total. The largest was Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange's $24bn deal for SFR (Altice France assets), ahead of Poste Italiane S.p.A. and Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TIM) at $12.5bn.
Top telecom mergers and acquisitions of 2026
- 117 AprBouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange → SFR (Altice France assets)Bouygues, Iliad and Orange agree €20.35bn carve-up of SFRTelecom / Mobile and fixed networksIn review$24bn
- 222 MarPoste Italiane S.p.A. → Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TIM)Poste Italiane bids €10.8bn for control of Telecom ItaliaTelecom / Fixed and mobile operatorCompleted$12.5bn
- 314 AprAmazon.com, Inc. → Globalstar, Inc.Amazon agrees to buy Globalstar to take on Starlink in phone satellite linksTelecom / Satellite communicationsIn review$11.6bn
- 48 OctSpaceX → Grain Management (800 MHz spectrum portfolio)SpaceX agrees to buy Grain's 800 MHz airwaves for Starlink MobileTelecom / Wireless spectrumAgreed$8bn
- 529 JunRocket Lab Corporation → Iridium Communications Inc.Rocket Lab agrees US$8bn deal for IridiumTelecom / Satellite communicationsAgreed$8bn
- 65 MayVodafone Group Plc → VodafoneThree (CK Hutchison's 49% stake)Vodafone agrees £4.3bn buyout of CK Hutchison's VodafoneThree stakeTelecom / Mobile networksCompleted$5.8bn
- 713 MayBharti Airtel Limited → Airtel Africa plc (16.31% stake)Bharti Airtel swaps INR282bn of shares for bigger Airtel Africa stakeTelecom / Mobile operatorsCompleted$2.9bn
- 818 Febnexfibre → Substantial Group (Netomnia)nexfibre agrees £2bn deal for Netomnia owner Substantial GroupTelecom / Fibre broadbandIn review$2.7bn
- 917 FebMTN Group Limited → IHS Holding Limited (IHS Towers)MTN agrees US$2.2bn deal to take full control of IHS TowersTelecom / Tower infrastructureIn review$2.2bn
- 1013 OctGrupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings → AT&T MexicoAT&T agrees US$2bn sale of Mexican mobile unit to Televisa and FintechTelecom / Mobile operatorAgreed$2bn
- 1118 FebLiberty Global Ltd. → VodafoneZiggo (Vodafone's 50% stake)Liberty Global takes full control of VodafoneZiggoTelecom / Cable and mobileCompleted$1.2bn
- 1217 AugDeutsche Telekom AG → Fiberhost and INEADeutsche Telekom agrees €1bn deal for Fiberhost and INEATelecom / Fibre broadbandAgreed$1.2bn
- 1327 JanMillicom International Cellular S.A. → UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones S.A. (Tigo Colombia)Millicom wins auction for EPM's stake in Tigo ColombiaTelecom / Fixed and mobile operatorCompleted$571m
- 1412 MayVerdane → Telenor Connexion (50% stake)Verdane takes half of Telenor Connexion at SEK 7.5bn valueTelecom / IoT connectivityCompleted$500m
- 1514 OctCPS Comunicaciones S.A. (Metrotel) → Telefónica Móviles Argentina customer base and assets (from Telecom Argentina)Telecom Argentina sells 6m mobile customers to Metrotel for US$450mTelecom / MobileAgreed$450m
- 162 OctClaro (America Movil) → DesktopClaro closes R$1.75bn Desktop purchaseTelecomCompleted$335m
- 1710 JunTelenor ASA → Enivest ASTelenor agrees NOK2.5bn deal for fibre operator EnivestTelecom / Fibre broadbandAgreed$264m
- 1818 FebSuperloop Limited → Lynham Networks Pty Ltd (Lightning Broadband)Superloop agrees A$165m deal for Lightning BroadbandTelecom / Fibre broadbandCompleted$117m
- 1913 Octfreenet AG → Exaring AG (waipu.tv) – remaining c.25%freenet takes full control of waipu.tv for €76mTelecom / IPTVCompleted$85m
- 2011 FebAussie Broadband Limited → AGL Energy – telecommunications business (AGL Telco)Aussie Broadband agrees A$115m share deal for AGL's telco armTelecom / Broadband and mobileCompleted$82m
- 2113 OctPrysmian (80%) and Fincantieri (20%) joint venture → XteraPrysmian and Fincantieri complete $65m Xtera dealTelecom / Submarine cable systemsCompleted$65m
- 2215 OctWaveDivision Capital, Stephens Capital Partners and The Pritzker Organization → EarthLinkWaveDivision-led group agrees to buy EarthLinkTelecom / Internet servicesAgreedUndisclosed
- 2315 OctTNS (Transaction Network Services) → netnumber (from Abry Partners)TNS acquires netnumber in Abry Partners exitTelecom / Number intelligenceAnnouncedUndisclosed
- 2413 OctAURELIUS → Nokia Enterprise Campus EdgeNokia sells Enterprise Campus Edge unit to AURELIUSTelecom / Private wireless networksAgreedUndisclosed
- 255 OctUnited Internet → 1&1 AG (new shares)United Internet lifts 1&1 stake to 89% in €850m debt-for-equity swapTelecomsAgreedUndisclosed
- 2611 MarStonepeak (via Astound Broadband) → GFiber (formerly Google Fiber)Stonepeak to take control of Google Fiber in Astound mergerTelecom / Fibre broadbandAgreedUndisclosed