Austria

General Information

There are three Austrian cellular operators:

• A1 ,

• T-Mobile,

• 3 (Drei);

Orange and 3 merged in 2013 to one network while the brand orange was dropped. In addition there are many resellers or MVNOs operating on A1 and t-mobile networks.

2G GSM is on 900 and 1800 Mhz like most of Europe. 3G UMTS on 2100 Mhz. 4G/LTE has been started on 2600 and 800 (A1 only) Mhz but is not on offer for prepaid costumers so far.

Cellular coverage is excellent for a country with difficult topography. In the mountains and in rural areas, A1 offers the best coverage followed by t-mobile and 3.

A prepaid SIM card is often called Wertkarte.

A1

A1 is the biggest network operator in Austria giving the best coverage and speed in the country A1 coverage map 4G/LTE has been started on 800 Mhz in the countryside and 2600 Mhz in the cities but is not yet available for prepaid.

• Default prefix: 0664

Start up costs

The starter pack is called B.free Welcome package and sold for 14.90 EUR in their stores and lot of agencies like post offices. Metro, Saturn, Media Markt, Niedermeyer Libro, Lidl, Hartlauer etc. Top up vouchers can be found everywhere in the county.

The Welcome packages comes in 2 varieties:

• B.free call, text and data has a credit of 5 EUR preloaded

• B.free internet with data only has 1 GB internet valid for 12 months preloaded.

Data feature packs

• For the data only SIM:
  • B.free Internet 30 Tage: 3GB /30 days 10 EUR
  • B.free Internet 12 Monate: 3GB /12 months 20 EUR

You can add more traffic whenever you reach your data limit, Maximum speed is 4 Mbps.

• For the call, text and data SIM:
  • 100 MB in 30 days for 3 €, activation: text JA to 2959, deactivation: text AUS to 2959, overuse: 0.20 €/MB
  • Basic: 1 GB in 30 days for 6.90 €, activation: text start basic to 2959, deactivation: text stopp basic to 2959, overuse: 0.05 €/MB
  • Top: 3 GB in 30 days for 19.90  €: activation: text start top to 2959, deactivation: text stopp top to 2959, overuse: speed reduced to 64 kbps.

SIM sizes

Standard, micro and nanao SIM

Settings

• APN: A1.net
• Username: ppp@A1plus.at
• Password: ppp

bob (Belonging to A1)

• Default prefix: 0680

Default data rate

• € 5 / 1 GB /30 days "bob datenpaket wertkarte"
• This data package is renewing itself every month, if it is not cancelled on time
• there is no charge if you do not use the SIM. You are only charged for each 1 GB segment (or once per month if you just use a bit of data each month)

Availabilty

In post offices, Metro, Saturn, MediaMarkt, Niedermeyer, Libro, Lidl, Hartlauer shops and online.

SIM sizes

Standard sim, Micro sim and Nano sim

Remarks

You will need an Austrian bank account in order to enable the "bob breitband" postpaid data plan, which is not a big problem actually, since foreigners are still welcome to open bank accounts in Austria. However, bank charges are usually applicable. No bank account is needed for a prepaid SIM card.

Although "bob breitband" is marketed as a data-only plan, voice calls are possible at a fairly competitive rate (7¢ per minute / 15¢ per SMS).

Your mobile device will receive a RFC 1918 IP address so your mobile device will not easily be reachable from the internet. Tethering is possible.

Yesss! (Belonging to A1)

• Default prefix: 069981, 069982 and 0681

Default data rate

• € 0.068 / 32 KB

Data feature packs

Mobile Internet Starter Set prepaid card (including phone function): 9,98 EUR for 1 GB to use within 12 months or 1.5 GB within 1 month (activate this by calling the hotline)

• Data pack: 3 EUR for 100MB to use within 1 calendar month
• Basic option: Top up with 20 EUR for 2 GB to use within 12 month

• Power option: Top up with 20 EUR for 3 GB to use within 1 month (can be de/activated when topping up your account)

Availability

Yesss SIMs can be purchased in HOFER shops or at http://www.yesss.at/

SIM sizes

Standard SIM and Micro Sim

Tethering

Allowed

If the Tethering option does not appear in the settings try the following: Go to Setting/General/Network/Mobile Datanetwork and enter the following in the input fields "tethering": APN: web.yesss.at username "web" password should be left blank. After a restart the tethering option will appear

Settings

APN: web.yesss.at

Service Hotline

0820 810 810

T-Mobile

• Default prefix: 0676.
• Brand name for prepaid plans: Klax. To access your current balance, press *114# + call button
• Press *101# and Call for Klax prepaid, or call 2040 free of charge.

Default data rate

• € 0.30 / 50 KB
• € 0.02 / 1 MB (see Klax Internet)

Data feature packs

• Klax Web'n Walk: 100MB at 5€ per month
• Prepaid: T-Mobile Austria Klax SIM incl. € 9,-
• Prepaid: MegaKlax starte 4.90 for SIM + 9.90 for 1000 minutes +1000 SMS + 1000 MB data
• SmartKlax 15 euro for 2000 minutes / 1000 sms / 2000 Mb data
• SurfKlax - €9.90 for SIM including 10GB 3G data preloaded (no need to call to activate), valid for 30 days (€10 to renew for another 30 days/10 GB - see KLAX Internet Starterpakete)

Availability

T-Mobile SIMs can be purchased in their own shops, online, on ebay.at or from some high street stores.

SIM sizes

Standard SIM, although depending on the retailer Nano SIM packs also available in SurfKlax packages (see link above)

Tethering

Worked fine Feb 2013 (Nexus S WiFi tethered to laptop, on 3GB SurfKlax package, 300MB or so of data transferred without a problem).

Settings

APN: gprsinternet

Username: t-mobile

password: rt

Telering (Belonging to T-Mobile)

• Default prefix: 0650
• Brand name for prepaid plans: Mücke

Default data rate

• € 2 / MB

Data feature packs

• Mücke Voll.Net: 100 MB at 5 € per month

Availabilty

In all Telering stores and online

SIM sizes

Standard SIM

Telering Free Willi

Default Data Rate

• € 0.02 / 1 MB (see tele.ring Free Willi)

sim cost 9,90 Euro (As from activation the sim card is valid for 12 months)

Data feature packs

• Free Willi Starter Package includes a SIM with 1 GB free traffic (The traffic is valid for 90 days.)
• 1GB /12months 10EUR
• 2GB /12months 20EUR

Settings

APN: web (no username, no password)

3 (= Drei) Austria

Drei Austria is the smallest network in the country but the merger with orange has given a good coverage 3 coverage map. LTE has started on 2600 Mhz but is not available for prepaid yet.

Some of the old tariffs before the merger haven been discontinued or raised.

• Default prefix: 0660

Nimm3

Nimm3 is the name of their prepaid line (= Wertkarte). The starter packs are sold for 10 € and can be chosen as:

• Nimm3 Telefonie: calls, texts and data with 1000 domestic minutes, 1000 domestic texts and 1 GB data preloaded valid for 15 days

• Nimm3 Internet; data only with 1 GB preloaded valid for 15 days

The SIM card cand be found at Drei shops (shop list) or at Libro (store locator). Top up cards can be found at many stores, kiosks, petrol stations and supermarkets. Online reloads by many international credit cards are accepted.

Data feature packs

• for Nimm3 Telefonie: SIM for calls, texts and data

Data option	Volume	Speed	Cost per month	Domestic minutes	Domestic texts
1GB	1 GB	4 Mbit/Sec	10 €	1000	1000
10GB	8 GB	8 Mbit/Sec	18  €	2000	1000

• for Nimm3 Internet: data only SIM (no calls or texts)

Data option	Volume	Download Speed	Cost per month
Nimm3 Internet	1 GB	4 Mbit/Sec	6 €
Nimm3 Internet	6 GB	4 Mbit/Sec	12 €
Nimm3 Internet Flat	unlimited	10 Mbit/sec	18 €

SIM sizes

standard sim, micro SIM and nano SIMs are available

Tethering

Allowed

Settings

APN: drei.at

Roaming option

• Unfortunately the old roaming options have been discontinued and are only valid for cards bought until August 2013. They allowed roaming in all 3 networks free of extra charges for data too.
• The new option called 3Europa gives you an add-on of 1 GB data roaming in 3 networks of Italy, UK, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark for 7.50 €.