Rogers Communications will be able to bolster its commercial service offerings once its $425 million cash purchase of Atria Networks is completed.
The deal, which was announced yesterday, is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. Rogers is buying privately held Atria from Birch Hill Equity Partners.
Atria Networks has one of Ontario’s largest fiber-optic networks, and the deal will allow Rogers to better serve its Rogers Business Solutions customers both within its own footprint, as well as in areas adjacent to it. Atria is based in Kitchener, Ontario.
“The business-to-business market represents a significant opportunity for Rogers. The acquisition of Atria strategically fits with our enterprise strategy to offer on-net, high-growth data services to small- and medium-size businesses,” said Rogers Communications President and CEO Nadir Mohamed. “Atria brings a highly experienced and dedicated management team with a strong track record of success. We are pleased to welcome Atria’s 130 employees to the Rogers team.”
Atria’s Metro Ethernet network includes 5,600 fiber route kilometers and more than 3,800 on-net buildings in high-growth territories including Ottawa, Cornwall, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Richmond Hill, Markham, Hamilton, Barrie, Orillia, Peterborough and Vaughan.
Atria serves a customer base of more than 1,100, spanning the public sector, enterprise and carrier providers.
A story yesterday in The Montreal Gazette said Cogeco was also interested in acquiring Atria. Now that Atria is off the table, the Gazette speculated that Rogers would attempt to purchase Cogeco.
