Report: Austria’s Fiber-Optic Usage Still Low

Report: Austria’s Fiber-Optic Usage Still Low

Image: APA/dpa/Sina Schuldt

 

Austria is facing considerable gaps in its fibre-optic broadband network, with only 317,000 active connections out of a possible 1.9 million, a new report reveals.

The latest Internet Monitor from Austria’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (RTR) shows that just 17% of the country’s potential fibre-optic connections are currently in use.

Still, the report points to some progress: active connections have increased by 22% over the past year.

“Demand still leaves plenty of room for growth,” said Klaus Steinmaurer, Managing Director of RTR for Telecommunications and Post. “The alternatives are apparently still good enough for many people, but I expect that to change soon.”

Data usage trends suggest that demand may indeed be growing. In the first quarter of this year, Austrians consumed 2,950 petabytes of data – up 10% from the previous year. Data use on mobile networks surged by 17%, reaching 1,266 petabytes, while fixed network data volumes rose by a more modest 7% to 1,684 petabytes.

Vienna holds the largest share of fibre-optic capacity, with 751,000 available connections. Upper Austria and Lower Austria follow, with capacities of 276,000 and 266,000 connections, respectively. The Burgenland region, which has fewer households, trails with just 17,500 available connections.

Austria’s fibre-optic market is largely comprised of smaller providers. A1 Telekom Austria holds the leading market share at 30.3%, followed by Energie AG Oberösterreich at 6.9% and Kabelplus at 6.8%.

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