Advent Int’l Backs Austrian Telecoms Group

Advent International in October provided ASCh 180 million (ecu 13 million) in expansion capital to CyberTron to support the independent Austrian telecommunications company’s ambitious expansion programme.

Founded in 1995, CyberTron was the first company to receive a Class 4 licence to provide a full range of telecoms services in Austria following deregulation, which took effect this January. As well as providing fully digital voice transmission services via its own and leased lines, CyberTron operates permanent data connections for transporting digital data and is a full Internet service provider.

CyberTron is initially targeting the corporate market and to that end is establishing ISDN and wireless ATM point-to-multipoint connections to facilitate high volumes of data transmission. By the end of October, Cybertron will finish installing a network of wireless ATM transmitters around Vienna. Thereafter, the company aims to form alliances with international and local resellers and agents throughout Austria to expand the coverage of its services. The group has a unique advantage as the only company to have negotiated number portability with Austria’s telecommunications body, thus allowing its customers to retain their existing telephone numbers when switching their accounts to CyberTron.

Chris Neizert of Advent International’s Frankfurt team described CyberTron’s management as “highly motivated, with strong technical expertise” and said the company has achieved a head start in the newly deregulated telecoms market and is already the second-ranking private player in Austria.

CyberTron is forecast to make a profit this year on expected sales of nearly $6 million (ecu 5 million).