Austria

Basics[]

There are now three mobile operators in Austria:

A1 Telekom Austria

Magenta Telekom (formerly T-Mobile)

3 (= "Drei")

Orange and "3" merged in 2013 into one network and the Orange brand name was dropped, but still two different "3" networks are shown when you make a scan. In May 2019 T-Mobile was rebranded to Magenta Telekom as a result of the merger with the cable-company UPC. In addition, there are many Sub-Brands and MVNOs on all networks.

Mobile coverage is excellent for a country with difficult topography and similar to Switzerland on a very high level. In 4G/LTE all three networks cover >=98% of the population. 5G/NR non-standalone was launched on all three networks in 2019/2020. Prepaid customers can only get access to 5G through select plans on all three networks. Since September 2022 Drei "3" has been the only carrier with 5G standalone for individuals in the country. 5G standalone was made available to prepaid customers only in late 2024. This article follows the historical order used in the country and is no ranking.

Data rates in Austria are among the lowest in Central Europe, largely due to the proliferation of unlimited data-only packages intended for mobile broadband due to a relative lack of fast or inexpensive fixed-line broadband connections especially in rural areas.

A prepaid SIM card is locally called "Wertkarte". This is a specific Austrian expression, not used in other German-speaking countries.

Even though there are plans specifically meant for phones or routers you can use any plan in any device without restrictions. This means that you can use a combo plan with talk, text and data with a router or an internet only plan with a phone.

Note that the small counters at the Vienna International Airport with Wowww!-branding charge excessive registration fees on Wowww! SIM cards up to €40. At Vienna International Airport you can visit the Billa supermarkets at Terminal 1 (between 5:30 and 20:00) and Terminal 3 (between 6:00 and 22:00), the Bipa store at Terminal 3 or the SIM Local store at Terminal 3 where they sell Drei, Eety and Lycamobile SIM cards. Alternatively, you can go to a store in the city. If you're taking the City Airport Train, Vienna S-Bahn Line S7 or the regional express train REX 7 from Vienna International Airport to Wien Mitte, there are A1, Magenta and Drei stores, as well as an Interspar, a MediaMarkt and a Libro at Wien Mitte The Mall. If you're taking the S-Bahn Line S7 or the regional express train REX 7 from Vienna International Airport to Wien Rennweg there is a Lidl in the small shopping center above the station and a Drei store as well as a Bipa a short walk away at the intersection Rennweg and Ungargasse. If you're taking the ÖBB Railjet to Wien Hauptbahnhof, there is an Interspar, a Libro, a Billa and a Bipa at the train station and a MediaMarkt a short 5-minutes walk away at 1100 Columbus shopping center.

The country code for Austria is +43. Mobile phone numbers start with a three digit area code starting with a 6 followed by a subscriber number between 7 and 9 digits.

Cellular frequencies in Austria per carrier:[]

	A1	Magenta	3 (Drei)
2G GSM	Band 8 (900 MHz)	Band 8 (900 MHz)	Band 8 (900 MHz)
2G GSM	Band 3 (1800 MHz)	-	Band 3 (1800 MHz)
3G UMTS	Band 8 (900 MHz) ⁶	-	-
3G UMTS	Band 1 (2100 MHz) ⁶	-	-
4G LTE	Band 20 (800 MHz)* with 20 MHz	Band 20 (800 MHz)* with 10 MHz‏‏‎	-
	-	Band 8 (900 MHz)* with 10 MHz	Band 8 (900 MHz) ³ with 3 MHz
	Band 3 (1800 MHz) ¹ with 20 + 15 MHz	Band 3 (1800 MHz) ¹ with 20 MHz	Band 3 (1800 MHz)* with 15 MHz
	-	Band 1 (2100 MHz) ¹ with 15 MHz	Band 1 (2100 MHz)* with 20 MHz
	Band 7 (2600 MHz) ² with 20 MHz	Band 7 (2600 MHz) ² with 20 MHz	Band 7 (2600 MHz) ² with 15 MHz
	-	-	Band 38/41 (2600 MHz TDD) ³ with 20 MHz
5G NR	-	Band n28 (700 MHz) with 20 MHz	Band n28 (700 MHz) ⁵ with 10 MHz
	-	Band n75 (1500 MHz) with 20 MHz	Band n75 (1500 MHz) ⁵ with 30 MHz
	Band n1 (2100 MHz) with 20 MHz	Band n1 (2100 MHz) ⁴ with 15 MHz	-
	Band n77/n78 (3410-3800 MHz) with 100 + up to 80 MHz (region dependent)	Band n77/n78 (3410-3800 MHz) with 100 MHz	Band n77/n78 (3410-3800 MHz) with 100 MHz

*Used for nationwide 4G/LTE coverage. ¹Used in smaller and bigger cities. ²Used in bigger cities. ³Limited availability and no carrier aggregation with other bands. ⁴Shared with 4G/LTE using DSS (Dynamic Spectrum Sharing) technology. ⁵5G standalone only. ⁶3G shutdown in progress, availability not guaranteed

Power Saving[]

All operators employ power saving between the hours of 12-1 am and 6 am, this means that bands 3 and 7 might not be available in all areas during these hours. If you want to use the A1 or Magenta network during the wee hours a device with band 20 (+ band 8 for Magenta) would be highly recommended, while for Drei network a device with bands 1 and 8 would be similarly recommended. Expect degraded speeds during these hours even with a device which supports bands 1, 8 and 20.

SIM card registration []

In Austria SIM cards need to be registered since July 2019 in order to be activated. In the country, the branded shops of major providers will do the registration for free or a minimal charge. Often partner shops or post offices also offer to do the registration but may charge up to €10. Most brands can be registered through an online verification process too, which is similar to Germany. Be aware that not all brands accept all foreign ID documents from overseas for their online registration.

These visitors should better go to a branded store instead.

Citizens from EU countries can try the Foto-Identifikation which is now available online for most brands, for this process, you need to have a reliable internet connection and a cam as you need to upload a pic of your ID document and a selfie to get registered. In both cases, these registration methods can be done on WiFi hotspots (like in Germany, locally referred to as WLAN rather than WiFi) which are available in many public places. Be aware that SIM cards sold in supermarkets, service stations and tobacconists can't always be registered there, and may only have the online verification available. Be prepared to go to a provider store, post office or online for registration.

Recharging[]

Online top-up vouchers are available for most networks at onlineaufladen.at without surcharges. Note that if you would like to use your credit or debit card on this website, payments are possible with Mastercard Securecode, Verified by Visa, Diners Club and Maestro Cards that have Mastercard Securecode enabled. Visitors from some EU countries may also use their online banking account to buy top-ups. Since this is restricted to certain countries and banks, check beforehand if your country is in the drop-down menu. Further, you need to be able to receive text messages to your home SIM, so if you don't want to connect it to a network in Austria, this method won't work. With the rise of App-based Multi Factor Verification for Bank Transfers, this issue has become obsolete in recent years. If you verify transactions via your Banks App rather than via SMS, this method will still work for you, even without connecting to an Austrian Network. The minimum top-up value is mostly €10.

For top-ups, most Austrian retailers don't sell scratch cards but hand out a paper slip with a PIN code. This usually involves either picking up a tag like seen here or asking the cashier for a Ladebon (= recharge voucher) for your carriers, you will be issued a paper slip containing the voucher PIN to be entered into your phone or online.

Some Austrian providers have introduced a non-activity fee, if you don't use your plan. This makes it hard to keep your SIM card when you pause it, because loaded credit will be eaten up without any benefit. Generally, most Austrian SIM cards stay alive for a year, without using them or topping up. Because of this inactivity fee, it is better to run down your balance, before you pause for longer.

Price comparison with the rest of the world[]

UK internet comparison site cable.co.uk has ranked Austria as 46th out of 237 countries/territories and 8th in the OECD (36 countries) in terms of mobile data affordability with data costing on average €0.47 (approximately US$0.51) per GB (July 2023). This means Austria's prices are approximately US$2.10 per GB cheaper than the global median. (source)

EU roaming[]

Austria is part of the EU, where since 2017 new international roaming rules have been enforced. In most European countries you can now 'roam like at home' at domestic rates rather than excessive roaming rates. For specifics about the new regulation check the European Union chapter, the section and every provider below, as the rules have been implemented in a special way in Austria.

Austrian operators have partly undermined the EU regulation to "protect" domestic Austrian rates. On some prepaid plans either roaming in general or data roaming is blocked. This means that they only work in Austria, therefore the EU regulation doesn't apply to them. These restrictions apply to almost all data-only mobile broadband plans (except Drei Wertkarte zum Surfen) and on some of the cheapest MVNO prepaid plans. If you want to use an Austrian SIM card in another EU roaming country, choose an option with EU roaming enabled from the start. Because either you will not be able to switch from a domestic-only to an EU roaming enabled plan during the validity period of the domestic-only plan or switching early causes the loss of the remaining validity period of the domestic-only plan.

All those plans that roam outside of Austria according to EU rules are governed by a strict FUP (fair use policy). Only a certain share of the included domestic data volume in packages can be used without surcharges. This portion is shown as "EU Data" in every table. It is taken from the domestic package and should not be seen as additional allowance. Furthermore, strict time rules are imposed against "permanent roaming". This means that you will be asked for "stable links" to Austria by your Austrian provider, when you roam for more than 3 or 4 months abroad (depending on provider). If you can't provide these links, you will be set to the "misuse rate" with all surcharge-free roaming scrapped. Magenta and its budget brand S-Budget-Mobile require everyone to prove a "stable link" to Austria to enable EU roaming which is impossible for tourists.

So roaming data use on Austrian SIM cards in the EU/EEA remains generally more expensive than domestic use in Austria, despite EU 'Roam like at Home' rules. The cheapest Austrian phone packages and almost all data-only mobile broadband packages are domestic-only and on other more expensive packages roaming is strictly limited. At least surcharges are capped according to EU rules. When you overuse in 2024, they are allowed to charge you no more than €1.55 per GB additionally (debited in MB increments) as long as you have domestic data left in your plan.

Austrian market leader A1 was one of the first networks in Europe to start excluding the United Kingdom from its surcharge-free EU/EEA roaming zone in 2021. Following Brexit, the UK is not part of the EU roaming regulation anymore and can from now on be surcharged without legal restrictions, but most EEA providers have continued to treat the UK as still being in the EEA. A1 and its budget brands started to heavily surcharge all roaming in the UK from summer 2021. From the beginning of 2022 the budget bands of Drei (eety and Lidl-Connect) started to treat the United Kingdom as a Zone 1 country. From August 2022 Drei treats the United Kingdom as a Zone 1 country. So the best options are to use any MVNO based on the network of Magenta or use the rather unreliable service of Lyca Mobile, if you plan to use an Austrian SIM card in the UK.

eSIM[]

eSIM is currently available for prepaid customers from the following operators:

Drei (Drei network): You can get an eSIM through a SIM swap at a Drei shop. If you want to get a new line, you can buy and activate a starter pack with a physical SIM at a Drei shop and then swap the physical SIM for an eSIM. This SIM swap costs €20 in addition to the cost of a physical SIM starter pack. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new SIM before first use. For more details visit the Drei section below.
yesss! (A1 network): You can order the default rate, any mobile plan or any special mobile plan online as an eSIM. If you want to use a data-only plan with an eSIM buy a new eSIM with the default rate plan and switch to a data-only plan in the online portal or the app as soon as the SIM is active. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the yesss! section below.
Georg (A1 network): You can order the default rate or any mobile plan online as an eSIM. If you want to use a data-only plan with an eSIM buy a new eSIM with the default rate plan and switch to a data-only plan in the online portal or the app as soon as the SIM is active. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the Georg section below.
HoT (Magenta network): You can order an eSIM for all current plans. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM during the purchase process. For more details visit the HoT section below.
Spusu (Drei network): You can order an eSIM for their default rate plan. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the Spusu section below.
MTEL Austria (A1 network): You can request an eSIM in MTEL Austria Shops. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the MTEL section below.
eety (Drei network): You can order any plan with an eSIM. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the eety section below.
Lyca Mobile (A1 network): You can order a new eSIM with any plan. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the Lyca Mobile section below.
Magenta Telekom (Magenta network): You can get an eSIM through a SIM swap at a Magenta store, a partner store (e.g. Hartlauer) or over the phone. If you want to get a new line, you can buy and activate a starter pack with a physical SIM at a Magenta store or a partner store and then swap the physical SIM for an eSIM. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new SIM before first use. For more details visit the Magenta section below.
Lidl-Connect (Drei network): You can order an eSIM for all current plans. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the Lidl-Connect section below.
A1 (A1 network): You can order any starter as an eSIM. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the A1 section below.
S-Budget Mobile (Magenta network): You can get an eSIM through a free SIM swap by calling customer service. If you want to get a new line, you need to buy and activate a new starter pack with a physical SIM first. Then you can call customer service while you have your phone's EID (Embedded Identity Document, a 32 digit number) ready.
yooopie (A1 network): You can order an eSIM for all current plans. Please keep in mind that you need to register your new eSIM before first use. For more details visit the yooopie section below.

5G offers[]

As of May 2025 you can get a 5G enabled prepaid plan from almost any active mobile operator on this page except spusu and MTEL. Note that not all prepaid plans are 5G enabled yet and there are still a lot of plans on offer which are limited to up to 4G/LTE. Please check the text above the tables and if present the technology column in the tables.

2G and 3G shutdown[]

Magenta Telekom 3G shutdown (complete): The 3G network of Magenta Telekom ceased operation in all of Austria on 11/JUN/2024 shortly before 10:30 pm. The shutdown of 3G was completed in phases starting in small trail areas in late 2023 and from the 5th of April in bigger areas every other week. With the final shutdown the 3G network in Vienna, most of Lower Austria and most of Burgenland was turned off. In the end Magenta was broadcasting 5MHz of 3G in band 8. The shutdown of the 3G network was announced by Magenta in April of 2022. Magenta has since refarmed the 3G spectrum on band 8 for additional 4G/LTE capacity and upgraded its small cells to 4G/LTE.
Drei Austria 3G shutdown (complete): The 3G network of Drei ceased operation in all of Austria on 2/APR/2025. The shutdown of 3G was completed in phases. First, Drei customers lost access to 3G national roaming from Magenta when the 3G network of Magenta Telekom was shut down in the first half of 2024. Next, Drei shut off its own 3G network. The first shutdown occurred in parts of Styria, in parts of Burgenland and in parts of Lower Austria on 22/OCT/2024. (Source in German) In the end Drei was broadcasting 5MHz of 3G in band 1. The shutdown of the 3G network was announced by Drei in July of 2023 (Source in German). As of 14/MAY/2025 Drei has refarmed the 3G spectrum on band 1 for additional 4G/LTE capacity.
A1 Telekom Austria 3G shutdown (in progress): A1 has announced that they will shut off their 3G network on band 1 (2100 MHz) from February 2023 (starting in Carinthia and Salzburg). As of 15/Nov/2024 the final refarming for 5G in band 1 has begun (Source in German-derstandard.at, Source in German-lteforum.at). The final shutdown of the 3G network is in progress. As of the middle of May 2025 3G is only still available in Upper Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg & Tyrol. It is planned that by the end of June 2025 3G will be gone from the A1 network and it is set to be replaced with 4G/LTE. Earlier it was planned that 3G would be gone by the end of 2024 and later by early 2025. (Source in German-a1.net, Source in German-newsroom.a1.net, Source in German-lteforum.at, Source in German-derstandard.at)
A1 Telekom Austria 2G shutdown (initial information): In several prepaid and postpaid plan documents as of Feburary 2025 A1 is indicating that 2G availability might only be guaranteed until the end of 2027 and therefore 2G could be shutdown as early as 2028. (Source in German)
Drei Austria 2G shutdown (initial information): For a short period Drei indicated that the 2G network would go away in 2023 but has since retracted this plan (Source in German). In their 3G shutdown notification Drei now states that 2G will continue to provide basic coverage for voice services (Source in German).

Network priority[]

All three networks use network management to prioritize some plans over other plans. The strategy used depends on the network. On the A1 network prepaid plans have a rather low priority (for B.free equal to their low-end postpaid plans and lower priority for other non-B.free prepaid plans). On the Magenta network, on the other hand, most prepaid plans have a higher priority than postpaid plans (except the HoT Internet and HoT Internet Plus plans). While on the 3 ("Drei") network prepaid plans have the same priority as equivalent legacy postpaid plans in terms of maximum data rates and category (mobile plans vs. data-only plans) and enjoy a higher priority compared to most current postpaid plans.

A1 Telekom Austria[]

A1 Telekom Austria is still the biggest telecommunication provider in the country with a very high standard: A1 coverage map 4G/LTE is available on band 20 (800 MHz) nationwide, band 3 (1800 MHz) in smaller and bigger cities as well as band 7 (2600 MHz) in bigger cities, covering 98% of the population. 4G+/LTE-A carrier aggregation is available on cell sites which broadcast multiple 4G/LTE bands. 5G/NR is available on band n1 (2100 MHz) and band n77/n78 (3410-3800 MHz) in non-standalone mode. 5G/NR is only available with select plans and add-ons.

Availability[]

The starter pack comes in five versions:

B.free Welcome Package - for B.free Wertkarte plans and add-ons for €9.90. It comes preloaded with the B.free S plan usable for the first 28 days.
B.free Internet Welcome Package - for B.free Internet plans for €9.90 (voice and SMS is enabled). It comes preloaded with 10 GB of data at up to 80 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up usable for the first 28 days.
B.free Internet Unlimited Data Welcome Package - for the Data unlimited plan for 25€. It comes preloaded with the B.free Data unlimited plan usable for the first 28 days.
Austria Prepaid Tourist eSIM B.free Travel S - It comes preloaded with the B.free Travel S plan usable for the first 14 days for 12.90€.
Austria Prepaid Tourist eSIM B.free Travel L - It comes preloaded with the B.free Travel L plan usable for the first 28 days for 17.90€.

The first three starter packs are sold online, in their stores and many agencies like post offices, Metro, MediaMarkt, Libro, Hartlauer, Bipa, Billa (Plus) supermarkets, etc. These starter packs include the option for physical triple SIM (standard, micro, and nano SIM) or eSIM.

The Austria Prepaid Tourist eSIM starters are available online only and eSIM only.

Top-up vouchers of 10, 20 or €40 can be found everywhere in the country at A1 shops, post offices, supermarkets, tobacco shops, and service stations. You can top-up online, in the "Mein A1" App or by 'dialing' *102*<voucher code>#. You can check balance online, in the "Mein A1" App or by 'dialing' *101#.

If you use the internet connection of your prepaid SIM card, you don't need a username and password to log-in to the Mein A1 online portal or the Mein A1 app.

Registration[]

All SIM cards must be registered. This can be done in A1-Shops, partner stores, post offices and online for free or up to a €10 fee.

Default rate[]

B.free 50: for data €0.50 per MB (that's equal to an extremely high €500 per GB, billing is in 128 KB increments) @ 4G+/LTE-A up to 100 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up

B.free Wertkarte[]

These 28 day combo plans are offered on up to 4G+/LTE-A or on up to 5G/NR:

Plan	Voice	Texts	Data	EU Data	max. Speed Down/Up	Technology (up to)	Price	SMS Activation	Others
B.free S	2000 mins	2000 SMS	50 GB	13 GB	150/50 Mbps	4G+/LTE-A	€9.90	'JA' to 2980
B.free M	2000 mins	2000 SMS	60 GB	20 GB		5G/NR NSA	€14.90	'JA' to 2981	50 mins & 50 SMS to EU & CH
B.free L	3000 mins	3000 SMS	unlimited	39 GB		5G/NR NSA	€29.90	'JA' to 2982	100 mins & 100 SMS to EU & CH

All plans try to auto-renew after the 28 day billing cycle is over (given enough credit) or can be renewed ahead of time by re-entering the activation code. The overuse of the packages is high at €0.50 per MB.

These plans have automatic inflation adjustment built in. This means that if the average inflation rate over the course of a calendar year is over 1% then the price of the plan can automatically increase in the following year between April and December. This is only relevant for repeat visitors.

You can find these plans on the following page (in German): https://www.a1.net/handys-tarife/wertkartentarife

B.free Internet[]

These 28 day data plans are offered on up to 4G+/LTE-A or on up to 5G/NR:

Plan	Data	max. Speed Down/Up	Technology (up to)	Price
B.free Data S	10 GB	80/20 Mbps	4G+/LTE-A	€10
B.free Data Unlimited	unlimited	80/20 Mbps	4G+/LTE-A	€25
B.free Data Unlimited 5G	unlimited	150/50 Mbps	5G/NR NSA	€45

All plans try to auto-renew after the 28 day billing cycle is over (given enough credit).

A1 also offers an annual plan, which is valid for 336 days (12x28 days) on up to 4G+/LTE-A:

Plan	Data	max. Speed Down/Up	Price (per 336 days)
B.free Data 12	30 GB	80/20 Mbps	€35

The plan tries to auto-renew after the 336 day billing cycle is over (given enough credit).

Note that voice and SMS are enabled as well but at a high rate of €0.50 per minute or SMS. The overuse rate is at €0.10 per MB. Data is valid in Austria only, roaming abroad is disabled.

These plans have automatic inflation adjustment built in. This means that if the average inflation rate over the course of a calendar year is over 1% then the price of the plan can automatically increase in the following year between April and December. This is only relevant for repeat visitors.

You can find these plans on the following page (in German): https://www.a1.net/internet/mobile-internet-tarife/internet-wertkarte

Data add-ons[]

These data add-ons are offered on up to 4G+/LTE-A:

Add-On	Data	Price	SMS Activation	Validity
B.free Data 1 GB	1 GB	€5	"JA" to 2945	until the end of the billing cycle
B.free Data 3 GB	3 GB	€7	"JA" to 2933
B.free Data 5 GB	5 GB	€9	"JA" to 2934
B.free Data 10 GB	10 GB	€13	"JA" to 2935
Data Happy Hour	unlimited	€0.90	"SURF1H" to 2900	1 hour
B.free Day Flat Surfen	unlimited	€3	- (online only)	rest of the day

The B.free Data 1 GB, B.free Data 3 GB, B.free Data 5 GB and B.free Data 10 GB add-ons will try to renew automatically each billing cycle (given enough credit).

There is also a special version of the B.free Data 3 GB add-on without automatic renewal called B.free Data 3 GB (einmalig) which can be purchased online through Mein A1 for the same €7. The German word einmalig translates to one-time.

The Data Happy Hour add-on can be activated as often as you want (given enough credit).

These add-ons are for use in Austria only,

You can find these add-ons on the following page (in German): https://www.a1.net/handys-tarife/wertkartentarife/zusatzoptionen

Other data related add-ons (speed/technology)[]

B.free 5G Option: Enable 5G/NR non-standalone on any current B.free starter pack or B.free plan for €5 for 28 days. Activate by texting "JA" to 2905 or online. This add-on will try to renew automatically each billing cycle (given enough credit). Deactivate automatic renewal by texting "AUS" to 2905 or online.

You can find this add-on on the following page (in German): https://www.a1.net/wertkartentarife-5g-option

Tourist eSIM[]

Two eSIM packages for tourists are offered called B.free Travel on up to 5G/NR:

Plan	Voice	Texts	Data	EU Data	max. Speed Down/Up	Price	Validity	Others
B.free Travel S	2000 mins	2000 SMS	50 GB	14 GB	150/50 Mbps	€12.90	14 days	50 mins & 50 SMS to EU & CH
B.free Travel L	2000 mins	2000 SMS	50 GB	20 GB	150/50 Mbps	€17.90	28 days	50 mins & 50 SMS to EU & CH

Just like all other Austrian prepaid SIM cards you will need to register the Tourist eSIM which can be done online before your arrival or in a store after arrival (see above).

After the validity period you can continue to use the tourist eSIM by switching to a regular B.free plan and topping up the amount for the new plan (see B.free Wertkarte section above).

You can find these plans on the following page (in English): https://www.a1.net/handys-tarife/wertkartentarife/austria-prepaid-data-esim