AUSTRIA

AVAILABLE SERVICES IN AUSTRIA

Broadband internet access in Austria is supplied by several ISPs and has had a historical high fixed broadband penetration. Business broadband is available in almost the whole country. Its cable and copper networks are known for offering good performance and coverage. However, there is a shift in public investment towards fibre, with the government allocating €1 billion in 2015 in funding to upgrade infrastructure nationally.

DETAILS

The internet penetration rate reached almost 88% by the end of 2018. Despite the irregular geography of the country, broadband internet access is available in most areas. As for satellite connectivity, The operators’ LTE networks have benefited from regulatory measures which have allowed operators to restructure existing 2G and 3G spectrum for LTE, while spectrum in the 700MHz has also been set aside for mobile broadband. The regulator is planning to auction 390MHz in the 3410MHz-3600MHz range and 200MHz in the 3600MHz-3800MHz range, in line with European measures, to be assigned for 5G technologies. 

TELECOMS MARKET

The prevalent telecom operator in Austria is the incumbent Telekom Austria and the cableco UPC Austria, though there is increasing competition in the fixed-line broadband and mobile sectors. As in other European countries, Austria operators are expanding their offer of bundled services in order to attract and retain customers. The Austrian fixed-line broadband market is dominated by the DSL sector, while a third of all connections belong to the cable broadband sector. The fibre sector, although it initially developed slowly, in recent years the operators have upgraded their infrastructure and promoted bundled services. The Federal Competition Authority (BWB, short for Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde) is the national watchdog institution for fair competition.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Austria has a well-developed market economy, skilled labor force, and high standard of living. Its economy is closely tied to other EU members, particularly to Germany. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.

Austrian economic growth strengthened in 2017, with a 2.9% increase in GDP. Austrian exports, accounting for around 60% of the GDP, were up 8.2% in 2017. Austria’s unemployment rate fell by 0.3% to 5.5%, which is low by European standards, but still at its second highest rate since the end of World War II, driven by an increased number of refugees and EU migrants entering the labor market. Austria’s fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries. Several external risks, such as Austrian banks’ exposure to Central and Eastern Europe, the refugee crisis, and continued unrest in Russia/Ukraine, eased in 2017, but are still a factor for the Austrian economy.

LOCAL PROVIDERS

RELEVANT INTERNET EXCHANGE POINTS

• AAIX – Alpes Adria Internet eXchange (Klagenfurt)
• SAIX – Salzburg Internet eXchange
• VIX – Vienna Internet eXchange

DATACENTERS IN AUSTRIA