Around 1,000 companies from all over the country took part in the current broadband survey by the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce: around 50 percent are dissatisfied with the performance of their Internet connection in their district. The expansion of the local fiber optic network is getting more important on the priority list due to home office and homeschooling.
Home office and homeschooling – the demands on the performance of the Internet connection have never been as high. This is also reflected in the results of the current broadband survey in 2021 considering around 1000 local companies.
Employees working from home – more than ever before
At the beginning of the year, 59 percent of the companies surveyed deal with employees working from home – a top value in Carinthia! Spittal had the lowest value, with around 30 percent of employees working from home. The internet connection speed was not always sufficient enough. “Employees in Feldkirchen struggled most with the internet connection. Incredibly many of the companies are not at all or only slightly satisfied with the internet connection of their company”, says Martin Zandonella, chairman of the information and consulting division. This clearly shows the need for action.
A lack of efficient Internet in the Country
The reasons for the dissatisfaction are the same in every district: Either the lines are too slow or companies are annoyed by disruptions. “In the urban centers of Klagenfurt and Villach there is a very good infrastructure, but as soon as the focus shifts to the districts, a completely different picture emerges,” says Zandonella. In the districts, around 50 percent of the companies are dissatisfied with their internet connection. In Hermagor, the value is even around 57 percent. “In Hermagor, expansion of the fiber optic network is already being implemented to defuse the situation. A local company is building the Gailtal Blackbone, a high-performance fiber optic ring as the core network. This will make it possible in the future to supply local networks with a better bandwidth and make the Gail Valley fit for the future for the next few decades, ”says Zandonella.
Fiber optic expansion has become extremely important to companies
The number of implemented fiber optic expansion projects in rural areas increased in the past year, but the fiber optic expansion of the economy is progressing far too slowly. The majority think that there is too little efford when it comes to broadband expansion at the moment. The pandemic has made further expansion projects extremely important for companies – this was confirmed by 81 to 97 percent of those surveyed.
Companies are willing to pay more for a better internet connection. Almost 80 percent of the companies spend less than 100 euros per month on their connection. “This is justified by too less offers of higher quality yet. Nevertheless, it is quite astonishing that many companies hardly budget higher costs than private households for the basic infrastructure of digitization, ”says Zandonella. A rethink is currently taking place here, because no company can work without the appropriate bandwidth. This applies to large companies as well as small and medium-sized companies and one-person companies.
The applications range from e-mail to online banking and data exchange with authorities, video streaming and cloud services to site networking and information exchange. “In the past few months, many companies have seen that the current technology, especially the copper cables, can no longer meet current requirements,” says Zandonella. A well-developed fiber optic network is a prerequisite for a functioning 5G network. That is why Carinthia must quickly provide an appropriate infrastructure.
