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.
In terms of Connectivity, Austria shows noteworthy advancement with 77% 5G coverage, though it faces challenges in fixed network capacity.
However, Austria falls short in adopting high-speed broadband (at least 100 Mbps), with an 18% take-up rate, significantly lower than the EU average of 41%.
Coverage of Very High Capacity Networks (VHCN) and Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) in Austria, at 45% and 27% respectively, also trails behind the EU averages of 70% and 50%.
[1] The country has demonstrated substantial advancements in mobile broadband connectivity, achieving a 91% take-up rate among individuals, which exceeds the EU average of 87%.
The country exhibited strong engagement in e-government services, with a usage rate of 79% among its internet users, surpassing the EU average of 65%.
[1] Under the 'Digital Action Plan Austria', the country has implemented strategic initiatives to improve digital interactions between the government and citizens.
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.
As of May 2016[update], Austrian ISPs are now once again free to unblock all previously blocked sites after the government appealed a new law for file sharing similar to the one in Switzerland.
[8] On 31 July 2012, a 26-year-old man received an 18-month sentence, of which 12 months were to be served, for posting that his favorite book was Hitler’s Mein Kampf and linking to Nazi material on his Facebook page.
[8] In February 2007 Austrian authorities were able to uncover a "child-pornography ring" involving seventy-seven countries, based on a report by a man working for a Vienna-based Internet file-hosting service.