VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - In Austria, 95 percent of households can now receive 5G. That's according to a statement from the Vienna Ministry of Finance. For 4G, the coverage rate is already at 100 percent, "which makes us a clear international pioneer," said State Secretary for Digitalization Florian Tursky (ÖVP). The EU average for 5G network coverage is 66 percent of households. The usage rate of 5G among SIM card holders comes to 5.9 percent.

According to the State Secretariat for Digitization, the "take-up rate" of 5G, i.e., the number of those households using 5G offers, is probably higher. However, exact figures would only be available to mobile network operators. It is also expected that the rate of those households actually taking up 5G internet will continue to rise, as companies such as A1, Magenta and Drei now offer tariffs with 5G, it told APA.

Internet speed is also of importance, Tursky said. In this area, Austria has caught up significantly in the recent past, he said. He pointed out that Austria recently ranked 21st in a global comparison of mobile Internet speeds in the speed test conducted by U.S. Internet company Ookla./tpo/cgh/APA/men