Internet access while on vacation is becoming an increasingly important factor in booking decisions and reviews in the tourism industry, as businesses strive to meet guests’ expectations. High-speed broadband is also of immense importance for the local economy. Download and upload speeds of 100 Mbit/s should already be standard in 2019, and speeds of 1,000 Mbit/s will be possible in the near future. For this reason, the municipality of Stubenberg set out to find a reliable partner capable of carrying out the broadband expansion within a reasonable timeframe. With Feistritzwerke-STEWEAG GmbH, this partner was found.
Tierwelt Herberstein welcomed 200,000 visitors from January through September 2019. “This year’s visitor numbers show once again that Tierwelt Herberstein is a popular destination and a major tourist attraction in the region,” said Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, State Councilor for Economic Affairs. In many areas, Tierwelt Herberstein’s performance serves as a benchmark by international standards. Only when it comes to internet access, as Managing Director Doris Wolkner-Steinberger notes, does it still feel like the early days. The state of Styria strongly supports the expansion of fiber-optic infrastructure in the municipality of Stubenberg through Feistritzwerke, as the state of Styria recognizes that only a high-performance internet connection can enable a region to prosper economically, according to Barbara Eibinger-Miedl.
Mayor Alexander Allmer, an engineer, notes that the ApfelLand-Stubenbergsee tourism region records over 180,000 overnight stays annually. “Our guests enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings and the attractions in our region and want to share these experiences with family and friends by uploading photos and videos online. Many hotels and room rental businesses have complained to me about the poor internet coverage in our community. I am very pleased that today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of the fiber-optic expansion in Stubenberg.”
Mag. Erich Rybar, Managing Director of Feistritzwerke-STEWEAG GmbH, explains the expansion plans: “More than 100 km of cable must be laid to provide fiber-optic connections to nearly every building throughout the entire municipality of Stubenberg. Over the next 18 months, in the first phase of expansion, over 60% of the population and nearly all businesses in the Stubenberg municipal area will receive a fiber-optic connection. Comprehensive coverage of the entire municipal area could be achieved within the next 5 years. Customers can choose from a wide variety of plans. From an entry-level fiber-optic internet plan for residential customers to a customized fiber-optic solution for hotels with 40,000 overnight stays per year, a diverse range of packages is available.”
Mayor and Member of the National Council Christoph Stark, speaking as the owner’s representative of Feistritzwerke-STEWEAG GmbH, explains that the founding fathers of Feistritzwerke recognized in 1905—long before many others of their time—that a community needs a reliable power supply for its well-being. “These founding fathers decided to build the Stubenberg power plant and were pioneers of their time. And this pioneering spirit is still necessary today, because we need comprehensive fiber-optic coverage in rural areas. I am doing my utmost to support this expansion both in my role as a member of the National Council and as the owner’s representative of Feistritzwerke, because we need comprehensive fiber-optic networks as basic infrastructure,” said Stark.
