MVNO Market Share Grows in Austria
Driven by consumer demand for value, MVNOs are expanding their presence in the Austrian telecom market
Austrian consumers are increasingly seeking out a good deal, and that’s having a significant impact on the country’s telecommunications market.
New data from the regulator RTR’s Telekom Monitor for the first quarter of 2025 reveals that mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and resellers are capturing a growing share of the market.
Driven by Consumer Demand for Value
Austrian consumers are increasingly drawn to value, with MVNOs and resellers now serving around 2.5 million customers.
This growing market segment has expanded its total market share to 18.3%, an increase of 1.5% from Q1 2024.
“This market segment is essential for competition in the Austrian telecommunications market because it serves certain customer needs at a very good price-to-performance ratio,” Commented Dr. Klaus M. Steinmaurer, managing director of RTR for the Department of Telecommunications and Post, and added: ” that the continued MVNO growth suggests the market is functioning well.”
Revenue Holds Steady Amidst Competition
Despite the fierce competition, Austrian telecommunications operators collectively generated €1.19 billion in revenue in Q1 2025, a slight increase of €12 million from the previous year.
This growth is notable given the challenges the industry faces, including declining call minutes and text messages, regulated roaming prices, and the widespread use of messenger services.
Austrian Post to Enter the MVNO Market In Q2 2026
The pressure on operators is set to intensify. Austrian Post announced plans to launch its own mobile and internet service as an MVNO in the second quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, discounter MVNO Hofer Telecom is committed to avoiding price increases due to inflation, aiming to maintain its “usual Hofer price” while increasing data volumes for customers where possible.
The ongoing success of MVNOs and the strategic responses of established operators underscore a dynamic market where price and value are paramount to Austrian consumers.
Austrian Mobile Market Data Q1 2025
Market Shares of Mobile Operators in Austria as of Q1 2025
The chart shows the market shares of mobile operators operating in Austria, calculated based on their subscriber base (number of SIM cards in use, excluding M2M).
Providers with a market share of 2% or higher are shown separately.
The “MVNO & Resellers” category displays the shares of all mobile operators not listed in the chart that have reported providing mobile services on the Austrian market.
The MVNO/Reseller segment has expanded its total market share to 18.3% as of Q1 2025, up 1.5% from the same quarter last year (Q1 2024).
Mobile Penetration
The mobile penetration rate (in percentage) represents the average number of SIM cards each resident owns.
The penetration rate is shown with and without M2M SIM cards.
M2M refers to the automated exchange of information between end devices. M2M SIM cards from mobile operators operating in Austria are not used exclusively in Austria.
5G SIM and eSIM
The chart shows the number of active 5G and eSIM cards in use (in thousands).
The 5G category refers to those plans that enable 5G use per se, without the need to activate a 5G package.
eSIM means that the SIM card is permanently installed in a device and is not removable. There may be overlap between the two categories, as there are 5G-capable eSIM cards on the one hand, and 5G SIM cards that can be offered as eSIMs on the other.
Voice Minutes & SMS per Month
The values shown in the graph are calculated by dividing the quarterly values for minutes and texts by three (months) by the number of SIM cards.
Only those SIM cards that are not exclusively used for data-only plans are taken into account.
- Minutes/User/Month
- SMS/User/Month
