Telekom Austria’s subsidiary A1 confirmed in a release that it will commercially launch 5G services this week.
A1’s 5G network will cover 350 locations across 129 municipalities in Austria, the company said.
The company claims its “A1 5Giganetwork” will be the largest 5G network in Austria, spanning 54,000 square kilometer. Sales of 5G-enabled devices alongside 5G rate plans will begin on January 27.
A1 had acquired 5G spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band in March 2019.
A1 Telekom Austria Group CEO, Thomas Arnoldner, said: “5G is the basis of Austria’s future digitalization and will open up unimagined opportunities for new services and applications. As A1, we were able to ensure that we purchased the best frequency equipment at the first 5G auction in 2019.”
“In combination with our fiber network, this now results in the largest 5Giganetwork. We see ourselves as drivers and companions of digitalization, we set the pace and thus support industry, business and private individuals alike,” he added.
T-Mobile Austria, owned by German carrier Deutsche Telekom, spent 57 million euros ($63 million) at the Austrian spectrum auction and launched 5G services in March 2019, activating the first 25 5G base stations, primarily in rural regions.
At the time of this launch, T-Mobile Austria said that it planned to use the experience it gains in these first 5G sites before expanding 5G nationwide.
Rival operator Drei ended last year with approximately 100 5G base stations across the country. Some of the cities in which the telco provides 5G are Linz, Pörtschach, Wörgl, Leoben, as well as in parts of Graz and Vienna.
Drei said that the expansion of the company’s current commercial 5G network will be mainly driven by market demand in the country, the company’s CEO Jan Trionow previously told RCR Wireless News.
“Initially, we believe that 5G will be used to provide capacity and speeds for our broadband customers,” he said. The executive also highlighted that Drei is currently engaged with the study of several use cases for 5G in the country.
“We currently have nearly 6,000 base stations across Austria, which would be gradually upgraded to 5G within the next couple of years. During 2020 we will see a significant coverage with 5G in Vienna,” he said.
Last year, ZTE and Hutchison Drei Austria partnered to develop and deploy what they said was Austria’s first operational 5G network.
Drei, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, secured 100 megahertz of 5G-suitable 3.5 GHz spectrum covering all twelve designated regions of Austria in March 2019.
