Wine-growing regions of Lower Austria have been connected with reliable and super-fast fibre Internet thanks to a partnership between Slovenia’s Kontron and Speed Connect Austria.
The residents of rural areas traditionally dependent on agriculture – and known for vineyards and wine-growing – can now benefit from the new opportunities of a digital society.
The major milestone has been reached less than a year into the project, with more than 800 km of fibre being laid in Lower Austria as part of Speed Connect Austria’s open access network. Slovenia Kontron’s Iskratel broadband products, including OLTs (Optical Line Terminals) and ONTs (Optical Network Terminals), have been used as part of the project, enabling 10-gigabit connectivity for residents in the rural region.
“We are delighted to see Speed Connect Austria bring ultra-fast fibre broadband to underserved rural areas in Austria,” said Svjetlana Kalaba, Executive Director Business Unit Broadband at Kontron Slovenia. “This efficient deployment will benefit all those that have been left behind, and we are privileged to play a key role in this success.”
One of the locations benefitting from fibre connectivity is the Zellerndorf district located in the ‘Retzer Land’, a part of the Weinviertel wine-growing region in the northeast of Lower Austria. The Zellerndorf area has seen almost a 10% population decrease over the last two decades. An improved on-line experience and Internet access were identified as crucial to ensure residents have a better place to live and work.
“The investment in modern infrastructure makes our community ready for the digital future and enormously strengthens our attractiveness as a location,” said Markus Baier, the Mayor of Zellerndorf. “Fibre connectivity is as important in creating new opportunities for residents and businesses as electricity was 150 years ago. Fast Internet sustainably improves the quality of life, economy and infrastructure in our community.
“I am delighted with the success of the collaboration between Speed Connect Austria and Slovenia’s Kontron that has seen a quick and efficient fibre rollout, thanks to the advanced technology and great project planning.”
According to FTTH Council Europe’s recent FTTH Market Panorama report, Austria has a 42.2% coverage rate with more than 1.7 million homes passed with fibre as of September 2023.
“We are celebrating a key milestone for our project and will continue to help drive up the coverage and take-up rates of fibre across Austria to keep pace with other EU countries,” said Antonio de Vall, CFO at Speed Connect Austria.
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