Item 7.01 — Regulation FD Disclosure.
On July 24, 2024, T-Mobile US, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) and KKR & Co. Inc. (“KKR”) issued a joint press release announcing that they have entered into a definitive agreement to establish a joint venture (the “JV”) to acquire Metronet Holdings, LLC and certain of its affiliates (collectively, “Metronet”), including Metronet’s broadband infrastructure, residential fiber business operations and existing customers. As part of the transaction, the JV will also acquire Oak Hill Capital’s existing stake. Oak Hill Capital will re-invest to retain a minority position and founder John Cinelli will also retain a minority position in the business following close of the transaction. In connection with the completion of the transaction, T-Mobile and the JV will enter into an Asset Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, T-Mobile will acquire Metronet’s residential fiber retail operations and customers, and a Fiber-to-the-Premises Master Framework Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, T-Mobile will purchase wholesale fiber services from Metronet and become the exclusive seller of Metronet’s residential fiber services. T-Mobile will market and sell such services under the T-Mobile brand. A copy of the joint press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.
The transaction is expected to close in 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. T-Mobile expects to invest approximately $4.9 billion to acquire a 50% equity stake in the JV at the closing and, pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, 100% of Metronet’s residential fiber retail operations and customers, as well as funding of the JV. The JV is expected to be self-funding on a go-forward basis, and T-Mobile does not anticipate contributing any additional future capital to the JV following the closing to support the current business plan to reach an aggregate of approximately 6.5 million homes passed by the end of 2030.
The operating agreement of the JV will provide that from the fourth to the seventh anniversary of the closing, T-Mobile will have an option to purchase a number of newly issued units of the JV to reach 50.01% ownership in the JV, subject to the terms and conditions contained therein. In addition, from the fifth (or in certain circumstances the fourth) to the seventh anniversary of the closing, T-Mobile will have an option to purchase KKR’s interest in the JV at fair market value at the time of exercising such option, subject to certain specified guaranteed minimum and maximum internal rates of return and other terms and conditions (the “Completion Call”).