Fiber optic expansion in Aigen-Schlägl picks up speed

AIGEN SCHLÄGL. After the abdominal pain that the Leader region Danube-Bohemian Forest had with the joint broadband initiative and the subsequent helplessness, there are still many a silver lining on the fiber optic horizon.

After intensive preparatory work and discussions with community representatives, the Austrian fiber optic infrastructure company öGIG, a subsidiary of the Allianz Group, is now beginning implementation in Aigen-Schlägl. “As a municipality, it was important to us to have a holistic concept with a clear perspective for the fiber optic expansion in Aigen-Schlägl. The öGIG can do that, which is why the municipal council supports this project,” says Mayor Elisabeth Höfler. One abstention in the municipal council came from Johannes Großruck, who also manages regional development in Upper Austria for the öGIG and has overseen the project from the start.

“As öGIG, we have set up a forward-looking project for my home town of Aigen-Schlägl, which will offer the population a secure, powerful and fast data connection via our network for decades,” says Großruck with conviction. The network in Aigen-Schlägl will soon supply households and businesses with their own fiber optics, thus enabling a secure and stable data connection for all connections. “We have no radio or copper bridges and we rely on a design that will last for decades,” explains Großruck.

Open to all providers

The glass fiber expert sees the fact that the glass fiber network of the öGIG is open to all Internet providers as a further significant advantage. “This means that the end customer can currently select the package that best meets his requirements from more than 20 providers,” says Großruck. Großruck is currently setting up the information campaign for Aigen-Schlägl with the öGIG team. The first construction work to set up the network is scheduled to take place this year. In total, the company supports more than 79 municipalities in six federal states with fiber optic expansion, seven of them in Upper Austria. Only recently did the öGIG break ground in Münzkirchen.

As far as the rest of the Rohrbach district is concerned, which is still in the copper age, there is bad news: “The funding situation for broadband expansion is currently difficult – especially for Upper Austria – and especially for communities that have actively made advance payments, for example with home visits, expressions of interest or information evenings, very sobering,” said broadband activists from the Upper Austrian broadband office. (fur)