On Monday, November 4th, Hrvatski Telekom and the company Markoja officially inaugurated the innovative wooden structured telecommunications tower – Ecopol – in the village of Gradići, municipality of Velika Gorica.
It is a free-standing, 40-meter-high tower in the shape of a cone, made of engineered wood, which provides support for mobile antennas and other telecommunications equipment. This innovative material ensures elasticity and long-term durability, with minimal impact on the environment. Ecopols are designed with safety in mind, including fire resistance and additional protection for built-in cables.
Each pole can carry the equipment of up to four different telecoms, and Hrvatski Telekom was the first to install antennas on the tower in Gradići, paving the way for other operators. Ecopol also emits half as much carbon dioxide as compared to traditional steel towers, and the materials used are completely recyclable.
Boris Drilo, member of Hrvatski Telekom’s Management Board for Engineering and Information Technologies, emphasized: “The Ecopol project represents an innovative step towards sustainable infrastructure, important for the development of the 5G network in Croatia. Telecommunication poles made of wooden structure, such as the Ecopol in Gradići, not only reduce CO₂ emissions by half compared to traditional steel poles, but also bring long-term resistance and greater security to the cables that are integrated within the structure. Recyclable materials and innovative fire-resistant wooden elements make it applicable in natural and touristic areas that require esthetic and ecological compatibility.”
“We are proud that Hrvatski Telekom, as the first national operator, recognized the value of our Ecopol and placed its antennas on this innovative communication tower, thereby opening a new chapter in the development of sustainable telecommunications infrastructure in Croatia,” said Boris Markoja, founder and company director of Markoja d.o.o. “This project perfectly reflects our commitment to ‘5E’ values – energy, ecology, economy, esthetics, and ethics. Ecopol provides top-notch support for modern 5G technology with a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions, proving that technology and ecology can go hand in hand. Our goal is to build the foundations for the future development of smart communities, all in line with sustainable business that contributes to the local population and the environment.”
In July of this year, Markoja became a significant minority owner of the Finnish company Ecotelligent, further strengthening its commitment to sustainability and innovation. Ecotelligent develops and builds passive telecommunications infrastructure made of engineered wood product (LVL), and Markoja is the exclusive distributor of these poles in Croatia and the region. Two Ecopols have been built so far, one in Gradići and the other in Podcrkavlje in Slavonia; and the third is currently under construction near Daruvar.
Markoja and Ecotelligent plan to expand the network of Ecopol towers throughout Europe, with special emphasis on less covered areas and tourist centers, in cooperation with local communities and national telecom and infrastructure operators.
