Indigo Telecom Group in talks to buy Aqua Comms NOC

Indigo Telecom Group has signed Heads of Terms with Aqua Comms to explore the acquisition of Aqua Comms' Network Operations Centre in Newcastle. If completed, the deal would add a third network operations centre to Indigo's existing sites in Denver and Magor.

The Newcastle unit would be integrated into Indigo's global network operations services, subject to a final agreement and customary approvals. The move would expand Indigo's round-the-clock monitoring and support for critical digital infrastructure.

Indigo provides network operations services to hyperscalers, subsea cable owners, carriers, and fixed and mobile network providers in more than 90 countries. Its centres provide proactive monitoring, fault response, service assurance, and support for complex network environments.

The proposed acquisition would also bring in a team with experience in subsea cable operations. Aqua Comms has operated a portfolio of transatlantic and regional cable systems, including America Europe Connect-1, America Europe Connect-2, CeltixConnect-1, and CeltixConnect-2, and has participated in the Amitié cable system consortium.

The talks follow EXA Infrastructure's acquisition of Aqua Comms. EXA is consolidating its own network operations as it expands internationally, while Indigo is seeking to broaden its presence in the subsea market.

Under the Heads of Terms, the Aqua Comms NOC team would become part of Indigo's operations. Indigo currently runs global network operations centres in the US and Wales and says it supports the full service lifecycle under the ITIL 4 framework, including third-party management, service commissioning, provisioning, capacity management, out-of-hours support, and reporting.

Subsea focus

The Newcastle centre is significant because of its concentration of operational knowledge in subsea cable systems. In that market, operators face demanding service continuity requirements, long repair times, and cross-border coordination challenges, making network operations teams central to fault management and customer support.

For Indigo, the addition would strengthen its position in a market where it already works with subsea network operators, data centre providers, and other communications customers. The company manages more than 30,000 incidents annually through its operations and service desk structure.

Michel Robert, Chief Executive Officer of Indigo, said the move would add specialist capabilities to the company's network operations offering.

"The Aqua Comms NOC team brings significant subsea cable expertise and operational experience to Indigo. We're excited to welcome the team to Indigo and add further specialist capabilities to our NOC offering.

"The acquisition will strengthen our ability to deliver the uptime, control and hyperscale performance our customers expect," Robert said.

EXA rationale

EXA presented the proposed transfer as part of a broader reshaping of its operating model following the Aqua Comms acquisition. Aqua Comms customers would continue to be supported through EXA's own network operations centre without disruption.

Jim Fagan, Chief Executive Officer of EXA Infrastructure, described the Newcastle team as a strong operational asset.

"Aqua Comms built a world-class NOC in Newcastle, a team with deep subsea knowledge and a track record of operational excellence. As EXA scales globally, consolidating our network operations is the right strategic step, and Aqua Comms customers will continue to be supported without disruption through EXA's NOC.

"The fact that this is an exceptional team is precisely why transferring them to Indigo makes sense. Indigo is growing its footprint across the global subsea industry, and this move puts that expertise on a bigger stage. That is the right outcome for the team and for the industry," Fagan said.

The proposed transaction highlights how network operators and infrastructure groups are reshaping support functions around specialist areas such as subsea communications. Rather than building every service unit internally, companies are increasingly concentrating expertise in teams that can support multiple geographies and customer groups from a smaller number of sites.

For Newcastle, the agreement points to the continued relevance of regional telecoms operations centres in global network management. Although much of the infrastructure they oversee sits offshore or across international backbones, these teams remain central to day-to-day service continuity, escalation handling, and operational oversight.

The transaction remains subject to final agreement and customary approvals.