The EIB and Cellnex sign a €375 million loan to support the rollout of 5G infrastructure and Europe’s digital transition

The loan will enable Cellnex to mobilise a total investment of €770 million in mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.

The project accelerates Europe’s digital transition, strengthens the EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, and promotes investment in essential infrastructure in cohesion regions.

The operation is part of TechEU, the EIB Group initiative to foster technological and digital innovation in the EU by mobilising €250 billion in investment.

Barcelona, 3 November 2026 – The European Investment Bank (EIB), part of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), and Cellnex have signed a €375 million loan to support the development of 5G mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.

This loan will enable Cellnex to mobilise a total investment of €770 million to enhance and extend the coverage and capacity of very high-capacity mobile network infrastructure in these countries, meeting high demand in areas with heavy traffic and helping to accelerate the digital transition in both urban and rural areas. These investments contribute to Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

Among other measures, the project will include new telecommunications infrastructure, such as mobile telecommunications towers and urban sites, upgrades to enable this infrastructure to be shared by multiple operators and support the rollout of 5G networks, and distributed antenna systems to significantly increase capacity at sites. It also includes investment to modernise Spain’s digital terrestrial television network.

The project exemplifies the open-access business model used by passive telecommunications infrastructure providers such as Cellnex. This model promotes site sharing among multiple operators, reducing the total number of towers needed without compromising network capacity or coverage, or the quality of digital services provided to citizens.

Around half of the new towers will be installed in cohesion regions, helping to bridge the digital divide and generate socioeconomic benefits in the areas covered by the project. This is the third operation between the EIB and Cellnex to support the development of mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Europe.

“Advanced digital connectivity is key to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy. With this financing, we are supporting the rollout of essential infrastructure for the development of 5G networks in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, improving connectivity for citizens and businesses and helping to narrow the digital divide between regions”, said Pilar Solano, Director of the EIB’s EU Corporate Finance Department.

Raimon Trias, CFO of Cellnex, said: “This third operation with the European Investment Bank consolidates our relationship with a leading institution and reaffirms our shared commitment to Europe’s digital transformation and territorial cohesion. The financing will enable us to support our customers in the rollout of shared infrastructure and the expansion of 5G in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, improving connectivity and narrowing the digital divide. Its tenor and competitive terms will help strengthen our financial structure and extend the average maturity of our debt”.

The financing agreement with Cellnex makes a significant contribution to the eight priorities set out in the EIB Group Strategic Roadmap 2024–2027, particularly those focused on fostering technological innovation and digitalisation, as well as cohesion between regions. It also contributes to TechEU, the EIB Group programme designed to accelerate innovation in the EU, which aims to mobilise €250 billion in investment by 2027 for startups, scaleups and innovative companies across Europe.