Telecommunications in Austria

Telecommunications in Austria encompass highly developed and efficient internet and telephone networks, complemented by a number of radio and television broadcast stations.

In the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) report, Austria ranks 10th among 27 European Union (EU) countries. It places 11th in Human Capital, with 63% of individuals possessing at least basic digital skills, surpassing the EU average of 54%. In terms of Connectivity, Austria shows noteworthy advancement with 77% 5G coverage, though it faces challenges in fixed network capacity. The Integration of Digital Technology in businesses is notable, with 64% of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) reaching a basic level of digital intensity, above the EU's 55%. Digital Public Services are also well-adopted, with 79% of internet users engaging in e-government services, exceeding the EU average of 65%.

Austria has 15 satellite earth stations, two Intelsat (one Atlantic Ocean and one Indian Ocean) and one Eutelsat. Additionally, there are around 600 very-small-aperture terminals (VSATs) (2007).

6.7 million Internet users, 50th in the world; 81% of the population, 29th in the world (2012).
2,074,252 fixed broadband subscriptions, 41st in the world; 25.2% of the population, 33rd in the world (2012).
4,564,834 mobile subscriptions, 40th in the world; 55.5% of the population, 23rd in the world (2012).
3.5 million Internet hosts, 30th in the world (2012).

Under the 'Digital Action Plan Austria', the country has implemented strategic initiatives to improve digital interactions between the government and citizens. One such initiative is the 'Business Service Portal', developed to simplify public service procedures, which has been recently updated to enhance user experience and integrate AI for improved service delivery. The rollout of 'ID Austria' represents an important step towards establishing a unified electronic identification system, aimed at succeeding the 'Mobile Phone Signature' system and ensuring compatibility with the EU-wide e-IDAS regulation for cross-border authentication. Projects like the 'Digital Office App' and the ELGA electronic health record system are part of efforts to make digital public services more accessible in Austria.

There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms without appropriate legal authority. Individuals and groups engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. Authorities work to restrict access to Web sites containing information that violates the law, such as neo-Nazi and child pornography sites. Authorities restrict access to banned Web sites by trying to shut such sites and forbidding the country's Internet service providers to carry them.

The Austrian constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combine to ensure freedom of speech and the press. The independent media are active and express a wide variety of views with few restrictions. Individuals generally criticize the government publicly or privately without reprisal. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.

As of March 2022 the websites of RT have been blocked by the major Internet service providers.

In August 2022, ISPs were ordered to block further domains, as well as individual IP addresses belonging to CDN providers. The latter rendered a large number of websites to become unavailable.

Telephones

International calling code: 43 Due to the geographical structures of Austria (mountains, flat lands, lakes) many providers use it as a "testing range" for new services. Mobile number portability was introduced in 2008, allowing users to retain their mobile phone numbers when switching between network operators. The original area codes allocated to each operator can no longer be used to determine the network with which a subscriber is registered.

;First generation networks

D-Netz by Telekom Austria. This network was switched off at the end of the 1990s.

;Second generation networks

There are three nationwide GSM networks which also support additional brands and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

A1: originally Mobilkom. It now runs a mixed GSM-900, GSM-1800 and UMTS network. Also provides service for MVNO's bob, B-free (owned by A1), Red Bull Mobile and Yess!
T-Mobile: originally max mobil. It now runs a mixed GSM-900, GSM-1800 and UMTS network. Also marketed as telering as a separate brand.
Orange: originally One (until September 2008). A mixed GSM-1800 and UMTS network. Since end 2011 owned by Drei/Hutchinson Whampoa.

;Third generation networks

Drei: Owned by Hutchinson Whampoa, a Hong Kong based company that runs its own UMTS network.

Radio and television

There are 2 AM, 160 FM and 1 shortwave radio broadcast stations, with several hundred FM repeaters.
There were 6.08 million radios in Austria in 1997.
There are 45 broadcast television stations, with in excess of 1000 repeaters.
There were 4.25 million televisions in the country in 1997.

The largest broadcasting corporations are:

Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), Austria's public broadcaster, was the main broadcast source until commercial radio and TV service was introduced in the 1990s.