Vantage Towers : builds first sustainable wooden structured telecommunication tower in Germany

News release

Vantage Towers builds first sustainable wooden structured telecommunication tower in Germany

• First Ecopol tower located in Bechtolsheim, Rhineland-Palatinate
• Official festive ceremony with Alexander Schweitzer, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation
• Kai Uebach, Managing Director Vantage Towers Germany: "Vantage Towers has taken a new path with the Ecopol wooden mast in Bechtolsheim. A path in which telecommunication infrastructure is sustainable and visually appealing at the same time."

Düsseldorf/Bechtolsheim, 31 May 2023 - Vantage Towers AG ("Vantage Towers"), a leading tower company in Europe, has installed the first wooden structured telecommunication mast in cooperation with the Finnish start-up Ecotelligent. The Ecopol tower was erected as one of two wooden masts in Rhineland-Palatinate as part of a pilot project, as announced by Vantage Towers in October 2022. The installation of the second Ecopol tower is expected to take place in Leiwen, Germany, in the third quarter of 2023; further locations in Germany are being considered. With the construction of wooden structured telecommunication infrastructure, Vantage Towers, together with Ecotelligent, is marking the beginning of a more sustainable mobile communications industry and digitalisation. According to the manufacturer, the Ecopol towers, which are built from recyclable wood, have a significantly lower carbon footprint than comparable masts made of steel or concrete. In addition, they have an attractive, modern design and blend in better with their surroundings - which increases the acceptance of telecommunication infrastructure among the population.

To mark the inauguration of the mast, Vantage Towers is holding an official opening ceremony today in Bechtolsheim, which will be attended, among others, by Alexander Schweitzer, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Alexander Schweitzer, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate:"Improving the quality of coverage and boosting network coverage with mobile communications are central goals of the federal state government. I am pleased that the construction of the telecommunication tower in Bechtolsheim not only advances the expansion of mobile communications in the state, but also makes a contribution to a greener future. In order to provide rural regions with fast mobile communications and the latest mobile communications standard 5G, the acceptance of the population is needed above all. The sustainability aspect can play an important role here."

Dieter Mann, Mayor of Bechtolsheim: "The wooden structured tower has made even critics change their minds. I am pleased that we have found this solution for mobile phone coverage in

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Media Relations: [e-mail]

Registered office: Vantage Towers AG, Prinzenallee 11-13,D-40549, Düsseldorf, Germany. Amtsgericht Düsseldorf, HRB 92244.

Bechtolsheim together with Vantage Towers. Perhaps we will also become a role model for how the expansion of mobile communications in rural areas can succeed."

Kai Uebach, Managing Director Vantage Towers Germany: "With the Ecopol tower, Bechtolsheim has chosen the future. A future in which telecommunication infrastructure is sustainable and visually appealing at the same time. We are very pleased that we have successfully realised this project, which is unique in Germany so far, together with Ecotelligent and would like to thank the mayor and local council of the municipality of Bechtolsheim for the constructive dialogue. Together we have achieved a great result and sent an important signal for sustainable mobile phone expansion in Germany."

Gyöngyi Mátray, CEO of Ecotelligent: "With the ongoing 5G expansion, thousands of telecommunication towers are currently being planned and built across Europe. It is therefore increasingly important to consider emissions in this sector. As a renewable resource and natural carbon sink, wood is a responsible and more sustainable alternative for building digital infrastructure. I am pleased that we have been able to win Vantage Towers, a leading European tower operator, as a partner for our mission and hope to build many more masts together."

The use of sustainable materials for Vantage Towers' infrastructure is another component of the company's sustainability strategy, complementing efforts to make its own infrastructure more energy efficient and reduce resource consumption. For example, the company already reached its first major green milestone in 2021: since then, all the electricity Vantage Towers uses to operate its infrastructure has been procured from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or hydro power. In addition, pilots are underway to produce renewable energy directly at the sites with wind turbines and solar panels, and to replace diesel generators with hydrogen engines.

About Vantage Towers

Vantage Towers is a leading tower company in Europe with around 83,000 sites in ten countries, connecting people, businesses and devices in cities and rural areas. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Düsseldorf.

Vantage Towers' portfolio includes towers, masts, rooftop sites, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells. By building, operating and leasing this infrastructure to MNOs or other network providers such as IoT companies or utilities, Vantage Towers is making a significant contribution to a better connected Europe.

While already 100% of the electricity that Vantage Towers uses to operate its infrastructure is obtained from renewable energy sources, green energy generation is piloted directly on site with the help of solar panels and micro wind turbines, and also hydrogen solutions are under testing. This fits well into the overall strategy of the company to drive a sustainable digitalisation in Europe and to support partners through technological innovation in decarbonisation and achieving their climate goals.

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.vantagetowers.com/en, follow us on Twitter at @VantageTowers or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vantagetowers.

Kontakt:

Media Relations: [e-mail]

Registered office: Vantage Towers AG, Prinzenallee 11-13,D-40549, Düsseldorf, Germany. Amtsgericht Düsseldorf, HRB 92244.