EWIA welcomes INWIT and VANTAGE TOWERS as new members
Brussels, 9 October 2024: The European Wireless Infrastructure Association (EWIA) welcomes its newest members, Vantage Towers, a pan-European tower company, and INWIT, a leading tower company in Italy, who both joined the trade association on 1 October.
“In EWIA’s drive for sustainable growth across our industry, including additional pan European neutral-host infrastructure providers was seen as a crucial enabler to ensure that our sector speaks with a stronger and even more unified voice in our ongoing engagement in Brussels.” says Marco Patuano, Chairman of EWIA. “In this context, we welcome INWIT and Vantage Towers as our newest members, who will contribute to EWIA’s mission to tackle the hurdles to mobile infrastructure deployments and to foster an investor-friendly environment to help fulfilling Europe’s digital ambitions.”
“I am delighted that we are joining EWIA. This move reflects the commitment of Vantage Towers AG to driving the future of digital connectivity across Europe. As part of a united TowerCo industry, we aim to collaborate with European policymakers in order to foster investment, promote the sharing and sustainability of infrastructure, and accelerate the deployment of 5G in particular in rural areas and for transport routes. Together, we will create a more connected, inclusive, and greener future for all in a more competitive Europe.” stated Christian Hillabrant, CEO of Vantage Towers.
“As the leading tower company in Italy and one of the main players in the wireless infrastructure industry in Europe, we are pleased to contribute to EWIA in representing the tower sector in the European debate. We are committed to promoting the development of the telecommunications ecosystem, starting with shared digital infrastructures like ours, which are essential to enabling digital transformation in Italy and in Europe and are therefore becoming increasingly strategic”, said Oscar Cicchetti, Chairman of INWIT SpA.
While EWIA is extending its membership, its footprint across European countries is also increasing with 11 TowerCo members operating across 20 European countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden.
About EWIA
EWIA is the European Wireless Infrastructure Association, the European trade association of independent wholesale wireless infrastructure providers. Our members invest in and operate wireless infrastructure essential to the delivery of mobile voice, wireless broadband, and other wireless networks.
EWIA is a well-established presence in Europe with 11 members operating across 20 European countries who develop, acquire and operate communication towers together with investment in the fiber-connected small cell networks in buildings and on city streets needed for 5G. Together, our members have invested and operate over €100bn of wireless infrastructure assets globally and operate a portfolio of over 195,000 assets in Europe.
EWIA advocates policies that facilitate and encourage network infrastructure investment and deployment with the goal of making advanced wireless broadband available everywhere for consumers, businesses, health care, public safety and the countless other sectors that rely on always-on wireless connections. This includes ensuring better and faster connectivity in rural areas.
About INWIT
INWIT (Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane S.p.A.), Italy’s leading tower company, develops and manages digital shared infrastructures that enable mobile telecommunications connectivity. INWIT’s assets consist of an integrated ecosystem of macro-grids (over 24,000 towers distributed nationwide) and micro-grids (more than 500 indoor solutions DAS – Distributed Antenna System), hosting transmission equipment for major mobile operators, FWA, and IoT sensors. Through its shared infrastructure, INWIT enhances the telco ecosystem’s efficiency, supporting the digital transition and 5G development. INWIT also works to reduce the digital divide through the “Italia 5G Densification Plan” and to build a more inclusive, digital, and sustainable “Smart Italy.” INWIT is listed on the FTSE MIB of the Italian Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit our website at https://www.inwit.it/en/, follow us on X at @INWIT or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/inwit.
About Vantage Towers
Vantage Towers is a leading tower company in Europe with more than 86,000 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 grid 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/, follow us on X at @VantageTowers or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vantagetowers.
