Digital connectivity in Austria

Austria opts for market-driven network roll-out and intends to confine the use of public funds to where they are absolutely necessary, in particular, for areas with the least chance of benefiting from private sector investments. The new telecommunication law, based on the European Electronic Communications Code, is a key pillar to create an investment-friendly environment for the private sector.

National digital connectivity strategy and policy

Responsible authorities

• Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt) advances digitalisation and digital transformation in Austria. It is responsible for improving the framework conditions for digital transformation and for coordinating and implementing e-government solutions.
• The Austrian Broadband Office (Breitbandbüro) is part of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Kunst, Kultur, Medien und Sport) and acts as a national competence centre for communities, federal states and operators in order to promote the deployment of digital connectivity networks in Austria. It supports federal states in their digital connectivity development, establishes contacts between local authorities and operators and answers questions from the communities and citizens.
• Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications RTR (Rundfunk- und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH) acts as the NRA for regulating the telecommunication market.

Main aims for digital connectivity development

Austria's Broadband Strategy 2030 was adopted in August 2019. The goal is to stimulated broadband deployment with the aim of providing every household, business and public institution with access to a gigabit network by 2030. This goal is supported by providing the necessary resources for deploying gigabit networks in areas with market failure. 

Digital connectivity is one of focal points of the Digital Austria Act - the Federal Government's digital work programme. The goal is to have fixed and mobile gigabit-capable connections available nationwide in the area of communications infrastructure by 2030.

Main measures for digital connectivity development

• The Austrian Broadband Atlas is the central information platform on digital connectivity coverage in Austria. Using maps, the coverage for fixed and mobile digital connectivity networks as well as all funded project of the digital connectivity initiatives are made publicly accessible. All data from the Broadband Atlas is available for download on Open Data Austria.
• The Forum Mobile Communication (FMK) operates a transmitter infrastructure mapping (Senderkataster) covering mobile and radio transmitter stations.
• The RTR Netztest informs users about the current service quality (including upload, download, ping, signal strength) of their Internet connection. In addition, a map view and statistics of previous tests can be accessed.
• A task force, the Internet Infrastructure Austria 2030 Platform (Plattform für Infrastrukturausbau PIA 2030), has been established to accelerate VHCN deployment. The task force will coordinate the interaction between the federal government, states, municipalities, cities, the public, authorities and the private sector and help further develop legal, regulatory and technical measures in the context of digital connectivity deployment.
• Roadmap to implement the Connectivity Toolbox: Austria announced plans to address the decentralised permit granting procedure – responsibilities are distributed between the federal, state and local authorities. Some of the measures considered are (i) the introduction of permit exemptions, (ii) fast track procedures, and (iii) promoting the application of existing lighter procedures for granting permits with all responsible stakeholders as well as a digital administrative platform.

National digital connectivity financial instruments

Initiatives Broadband Austria 2020 and Broadband Austria 2030 support deployment of digital connectivity infrastructure.  In April 2021, the government announced that EUR 1.4 billion will be invested in the deployment of fibre in underserved regions. The funds derive from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (EUR 456 million), the proceeds of the 5G spectrum auctions (EUR 389 million) and from the national budget. This measure addresses the Austrian backlog in the deployment of rural gigabit capable access networks and therefore supports the objectives of the Austrian Broadband Strategy 2030 and the EU Gigabit objectives.

• BBA2020: 650+ funding recipients in 1,790+ projects with 916 million in funding commitments (state, federal states and EAFRD funds),
• BBA2030: 310+ funding recipients in 360+ projects with 1.076 million in funding commitments (state and federal states),
• Approximately 580,000 households are expected to benefit from the funding provided by the Broadband Austria 2020 and Broadband Austria 2030 initiatives until the end of 2024. It is encouraging that, as part of the subsidized broadband expansion, a large proportion of households, more than 60 percent, are already receiving an FTTP connection.
• Using the BBA2020 & BBA2030: Connect funding instruments 300 SMEs, 650 educational institutions, 30 public institutions and 30 agricultural enterprises will receive a fibre optic connection.

In addition to the federal funding, several Austrian federal states offer further subsidies for the expansion of ultra-fast internet.

Austria’s recovery and resilience plan supports the digital transition with investments in Gigabit networks reaching half of Austrian households and earmarks EUR 891 million for these investments. Connectivity is addressed by supporting widespread deployment of gigabit-capable access networks and accounts for the largest share of the digital-related expenditure of the plan, recognising the need to increase coverage with fixed VHCN in rural areas. The funds from RRF will support roll-out of gigabit enabled access networks to a total of 150,000 households, with a budget of EUR 456,2 million. Austria’s RRP has a total value of EUR 4.5 billion.
 

Data on digital connectivity development and technologies in Austria

For the latest data on digital connectivity coverage, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different digital connectivitytechnologies check the Digital Decade country reports.

National and EU publications and press documents

English

• Broadband Investment Handbook
• Mobile and Fixed Broadband Prices in Europe 2022
• Study on National Broadband Plans in the EU27
• Broadband Connectivity Reports and Analyses

German

• Breitbandstrategie 2030
• 5G-Strategie
• Digital Austria Act
• Spectrum Release Plan 2022 bis 2026
• Internet via Satellit - Technologie, Leistungsfähigkeit und Anwendungsbereiche
   

Contact information

Broadband Competence Office (Breitbandbüro) at the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Kunst, Kultur, Medien und Sport)

Contact via email
Address: Radetzkystraße 2, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 51433 506929
Visit the website

Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt)

Contact via email
Address: Ballhausplatz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Visit the website

Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Rundfunk & Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH)

Contact via email
Address: Mariahilfer Straße 77-79, 1060 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 58058 0
Visit the website