KKR raises $17 billion for broadband and other infrastructure investments

Broadband appears to be on the list of priorities for private equity firm KKR as it looks to invest $17 billion from a newly created fund in infrastructure projects across the globe. Countries like the US are already pouring a significant amount of money into improving infrastructure. But KKR’s head of North American Infrastructure Brandon Freiman said, “Global demand for building and upgrading critical infrastructure, as well as supporting responsible energy transition and growing broadband access, requires funding far in excess of public sources.” That’s where private equity comes in, Freiman said. Though the fund will look at global investments, it plans to focus on opportunities in countries in North American and Western Europe which are part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is unclear just how much money KKR plans to pump into broadband investments as opposed to other types of projects. However, the company has historically been interested in fiber and fixed wireless access technologies.