Only 317,000 of these connections are currently activated – and therefore almost 17 percent of the potential. The RTR Internet Monitor shows that 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 post. “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 volume of data 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).
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Real estate: fiber optic network is an important purchase criterion
What impact is the increase in data consumption having on the telecommunications market, particularly for fiber optic connections?
The growing importance of high-speed internet, especially via fiber optic connections, is becoming increasingly apparent in user behavior and market trends. In the first quarter of the year, data consumption saw a notable increase of 10%, with mobile network data volume surging by 17% to 1,266 petabytes. This shift indicates a growing reliance on mobile connectivity alongside traditional fixed networks, which saw a more modest increase of nearly 7%.
In the context of Austria’s telecommunications landscape, A1 Telekom Austria remains the dominant player with a 30.3% market share in fiber optic connections. Following them are Energie AG Oberösterreich and Kabelplus, holding 6.9% and 6.8% market shares, respectively. The demand for fiber optic infrastructure is particularly pronounced in urban areas, with Vienna accounting for a significant portion of available connections.
As digital services and remote functionalities become more integral to daily life, the presence of a robust fiber optic network is increasingly viewed as a critical factor in property purchases. As highlighted by recent trends, homebuyers are prioritizing access to high-speed internet, signifying the evolving landscape of real estate considerations. This trend underscores the need for continued investment in telecommunications infrastructure to meet growing consumer demands.
