Around 4,800 households and companies in Graz-Waltendorf will now be connected to the high-performance öFIBER fibre optic network of the Austrian Fibre Optic Infrastructure Company (öGIG). The ceremonial groundbreaking marks the start of an expansion that will see around 30 Styrian communities connect to the öFIBER network – the high-speed Internet connection from öGIG – representing around 50,000 households and businesses
To this end, öGIG will invest around €70m in the Styrian fiber optic expansion in 2024 alone – €10.5m of which will be for Graz-Waltendorf.
“The biggest advantage of our open platform is that customers can choose from a wide range of providers and offers when it comes to their internet tariff,” said öGIG CCO Christian Nemeth. “Future-proof open networks and an attractive price-performance ratio guarantee fair competition and are cornerstones of our corporate strategy, which are perceived very positively from the customer’s perspective.”
Allianz subsidiary
In 2021, Allianz invested around €1bn for the deployment of fibre so öGIG could connect to one million households by 2030, making it one of the largest fibre network providers in Austria. The expansion of the Lower Austrian communities is mainly carried out through the partnership with the Lower Austrian Fiber Optic Infrastructure Company (nöGIG). The federal states of Upper Austria, Styria, Burgenland, Carinthia and soon Vorarlberg are the focus of the öGIG.
With currently over 20 Internet providers on the network, öGIG and nöGIG have the largest open access platform in the country. In addition, with investments of over €600 million by öGIG and nöGIG to date, its fibre footprint has reached more than 210 communities. The focus is on the federal states of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria, Burgenland and Carinthia.
In total, 150,000 households and companies will be connected to the open fibre optic network by the end of the year. More than 50,000 customers will then actively use their FTTH connection immediately. In addition to private-sector infrastructure investments, federal funding is also combined to expand the network as comprehensively as possible in the more rural – and more expensive – areas.
The project details
The laying of the öFIBER network in Graz-Waltendorf is being carried out by REELA Projektentwicklungs- und Bau GmbH, which is already carrying out the fibre optic expansion in Wildon. REELA uses the so-called HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) directional drilling method – a very environmentally friendly alternative to conventional civil engineering methods. The process enables the underground laying of lines, pipes and cables to protect the landscape and the soil and reduces soil erosion. The first households will be connected as early as July and August. Completion of the entire project is scheduled for summer 2026.
Photo reference (from left): Holger Geserick (managing director REELA), Christian Nemeth (CCO öGIG), Kurt Hohensinner (Graz City Council) and Peter Mayr (district manager Graz-Waltendorf) on 30 April 2024 at the groundbreaking ceremony in Graz-Waltendorf, where the öFIBER fibre optic expansion officially kicked off.
Source: https://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/fibreco-ogig-expands-austrian-network-footprint/