20
Sphere 33
The telecommunication sector is also highly competitive,
allowing customers to enjoy one of the cheapest tariffs
in Europe. Hutchison 3G Austria was launched in 2003
to challenge the established mobile market. In 2012,
3
Austria
was the fourth-biggest mobile phone services provider with
a market share of 10 per cent and 1.3 million customers.
In January 2013,
3
acquired the Austrian operator Orange.
Together both companies hold a market share of 22 per cent
and have more than three million customers. At present,
3
has 94 per cent coverage for both UMTS/3G POP and
HSPA+ services over the whole country.
Since entering the market in 2003,
3
has been expanding
and taking the lead in introducing the latest telecommunications
technology and services to the country. Data service in
Österreich is presently experiencing a great boom due to
the widespread popularity of smart phones and tablet devices.
In response to this change in demand of telecommunication
services,
3
has taken proactive steps in upgrading and
expanding its data services. 80 per cent of
3
customers now
enjoy data speeds of more than 7.2MBit per second, while
about 30 per cent achieve a data rate of 21 MBit per second.
In 2010,
3
already transported more data over its network
than the other two biggest players combined.
3
also commits
to delivering the latest technology. In November 2011,
3
had the commercial launch of LTE/4G network, and is
endeavouring to introduce one of the best LTE networks
Rich in culture, Vienna is a capital of classical music with the Vienna Boys’ Choir bringing the finest choral music to the world.
Hutchison in Austria
Austria may not be the largest and most eye-catching market
in the world, but HWL recognises the country’s potential and
has taken proactive steps in expanding its telecom and retail
businesses for over a decade.
3
Austria
Austria is a very mature telecommunication market with
a mobile penetration of 150 per cent in 2012; which is 1.5
mobile phones for every Austrian citizen. It was amongst the
first countries to launch a wide national UMTS/3G coverage.
CREDIT: UNIDO
