Intermediate Capital Group plc (ICG) has announced that its infrastructure team has closed its first deal since joining ICG; investing into Océinde Communications - the leading optical fibre provider in the French overseas department of Réunion Island.

The infrastructure team, established in May 2018, has invested in Océinde Communications alongside parent company Océinde Group to support the rollout of the telecom network’s services across the island. It is the first in a number of deals that the team is working on, with a focus on Western Europe.

Océinde Communications is the leading fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) operator in the department of Réunion Island, ahead of the two leading French telecom incumbents. It has made significant investments since 2011 to deploy its proprietary network that covers 80% of Réunion Island. It is now one of the most connected departments of France, according to the French regulator (ARCEP, December 2018), with more than 300,000 homes covered by FTTH and demand increasing as data consumption grows.

Océinde Communications, through its Zeop brand, is recognised as offering the greatest speed and best services on the island. It also has plans to launch its own mobile network.

The Océinde Group is controlled by the Goulamaly family, who are considered pioneers in the sector after launching the first local GSM network in the mid-1990’s.