Only 317,000 of these connections are currently activated – and therefore almost 17 percent of the potential. According to the RTR Internet Monitor, 1.9 million broadband connections could currently be established. However, there is at least one positive trend: the number of activated connections up to the first quarter has increased by 22 percent within a year.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement in demand,” said Klaus Steinmaurer, RTR’s managing director for telecommunications and postal services. “The alternatives are apparently still good enough for many people. But I assume that this will change soon.”
This is also reflected in user behavior: in the first quarter of this year, 2,950 petabytes of data volume – ten percent more than a year earlier – were consumed via fixed and mobile networks. The data volume transmitted via mobile networks increased by 17 percent to 1,266 petabytes. The data volume via landline networks only increased by almost seven percent to 1,684 petabytes.
Energie AG second largest provider
Around 751,000 of the 1.9 million available connections are in Vienna. There is already capacity for 276,000 connections in Upper Austria and around 266,000 connections in Lower Austria. Burgenland has the fewest households and is therefore at the bottom of the list in Austria with 17,500 available connections.
There are currently a large number of mostly smaller providers. With a 30.3 percent market share, A1 Telekom Austria is the market leader for fiber optic connections, followed by Energie AG Oberösterreich (6.9 percent) and Kabelplus (6.8 percent).
More on the topic
Real estate: fiber optic network is an important purchase criterion
How is the increasing demand for high-speed internet influencing home buyers’ decisions?
Iterion
The increasing demand for high-speed internet, particularly through fiber optic connections, has become a significant factor in property purchases. As users continue to consume more data—2,950 petabytes in the first quarter of the year alone, marking a ten percent year-over-year increase—connectivity has gained prominence among home buyers.
In Austria, major telecommunications players are stepping up their infrastructure, with A1 Telekom Austria leading the market with a 30.3 percent share in fiber optics. Following behind are Energie AG Oberösterreich at 6.9 percent and Kabelplus at 6.8 percent. Most of the available connections—around 1.9 million—are concentrated in urban centers like Vienna, which accounts for 751,000 connections. The surge in data transmitted via mobile networks (up 17 percent to 1,266 petabytes) suggests a shift in user behavior that may influence future real estate investments, emphasizing the importance of robust internet infrastructure in homes.
As regional offerings expand, especially in areas like Upper Austria and Lower Austria, the relevance of a strong fiber optic network will likely continue to shape the real estate landscape, making it an important criterion for buyers.
