Helios Towers Lifts Guidance on Carrier Demand
Telecom infrastructure operators serving African mobile carriers can see contracted demand supporting growth into 2027.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Corporate Finance
Helios Towers reported tenancy additions up 12% to 35,379 for the nine months to September 2026, with adjusted EBITDA up 13% to $392.2 million and revenue up 13% to $718.8 million. The tower infrastructure company also tightened its full-year 2026 guidance upward, with tenancy additions now around 4,000 and adjusted EBITDA around $535 million.
Why it matters
Demand from mobile network operators for shared tower infrastructure is accelerating across the company's markets, according to management, which attributed the results to strong customer demand. For operators in the sector, the figures signal that contracted, long-dated revenue from large carriers is a central driver of growth.
Helios Towers reported nine-month tenancies of 35,379, up 12% year on year, with operating profit up 23% to $259.1 million. Contracted future revenues total $6.2 billion, with 98% coming from large multinational mobile network operators.
The players
Helios Towers
Helios Towers is a tower infrastructure company that owns and operates telecom towers leased to mobile network operators across Africa.
Tom Greenwood
Tom Greenwood is the chief executive of Helios Towers, leading the company's tower infrastructure operations.
The details
Helios Towers owns and operates telecom towers that mobile network operators lease space on, so each new tenancy represents an additional carrier contracted to a site. The company said its contracted future revenues stand at a record $6.2 billion, with an average remaining initial contract life of 6.4 years and around 70% coming from investment grade customers. Management expects the momentum to continue into 2027, with over 3,000 tenancies expected to be delivered that year.
Timeline
Nine months to September 2026: reported tenancy, EBITDA, operating profit and revenue growth.
Full year 2026: tightened guidance for tenancies, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow.
2027: expected delivery of over 3,000 tenancies.
Market Landscape
Tower companies have built value on long-dated leases with large carriers, and Helios Towers' $6.2 billion of contracted future revenues illustrates that model. The nine-month figures place the company's growth against that backdrop of carrier-driven demand for shared infrastructure across Africa.
Operators in telecom infrastructure and their suppliers should note that large carrier contracts with long remaining terms are supporting growth in this segment. Businesses that lease to or contract with mobile operators should factor in continued demand for shared infrastructure into near-term planning.
The takeaway
The key operating signal is that contracted revenue from investment grade carriers is providing visibility for growth into 2027. Businesses tracking the sector should watch whether the expected delivery of over 3,000 tenancies next year is met against the current full-year guidance.
Further reading
For context on how companies report and guide investors on results like these, see Corporate Finance.
