Vertical Bridge secures $1.94bn for tower financing. Claims to be the largest ABS financing in the US tower sector ever February 20, 2026 Wireless communications infrastructure company Vertical Bridge announced this week that it has successfully issued $1.94 billion of tower revenue notes. The offering, led by Barclays as the structuring agent, is Vertical Bridge's 11th asset-backed securities (ABS) financing by the company since 2016. To secure the issuance, Vertical Bridge bundled 10,425 towers as collateral to raise $1.94bn ABS across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. "The success of our 2026-1 issuance reflects the strength, stability, and continued growth of Vertical Bridge's platform," said Ron Bizick, president and CEO. "Achieving the largest ABS transaction in our company's history, and the largest tower ABS issuance ever, demonstrates the trust investors place in our portfolio, our performance, and our long-term strategy." According to Vertical Bridge, the final order book included 78 unique investors who placed orders across the four classes of notes, including 41 new investors to the Vertical Bridge ABS platform. The company claims that the ABS is the largest-ever issuance in the tower sector. Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, is the largest private owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in the US and has a nationwide portfolio of more than 18,000 towers. Last year, the company completed its $3.3bn acquisition of more than 6,000 towers from Verizon. DigitalBridge completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in the company in 2021, while La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is also a significant investor in the group. Japan's SoftBank agreed to buy DigitalBridge for $4bn in late December. More in investment / M&A / financing.

Vertical Bridge, the fourth-largest US tower company, has closed a $1.94 billion asset-backed securitisation backed by 10,425 tower sites across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. The deal, led by Barclays and involving 78 investors, represents the largest single-tranche tower securitisation in industry history. The financing comes as parent company DigitalBridge prepares for a $4 billion acquisition by SoftBank Group, expected to close in the second half of 2026. SoftBank's interest centres on AI infrastructure rather than towers, as CEO Masayoshi Son pursues artificial super intelligence development. The securitisation is Vertical Bridge's eleventh since 2016. Whilst Vertical Bridge's single-tranche deal is the largest of its kind, SBA Communications raised $2.07 billion through two separate series in October 2024, marking the industry's largest single-closing total.

Site acquisition: The consolidation of tower ownership has been underway for many years now and seems to be a continuing trend with Vertical Bridge acquiring more than 6,300 tower sites from Verizon for approximately USD 3.3 billion last December.