Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

Fig. 1-16: Digital Economy and Society Index, 2019
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
FI
N
SW
E
NL
D
DN
K
GB
R
LU
X
IR
L
ES
T
BE
L
M
LT
ES
P
DE
U
AU
T
Ø 
EU
-2
8
LT
U
FR
A
SV
N
LV
A
CZ
E
PR
T
HR
V
SV
K
CY
P
HU
N
IT
A
PO
L
GR
C
RO
U
BG
R
Connectivity
Human capital
Internet use
Integration of digital technology
Digital public services
Source: European Commission (2019f). Graphic: iit.
Table 1-8: Trend in the DESI indicator in Austria and comparison with the EU average
 
Austria
EU average
 
Ranking
Value
DESI 2019
13
53.9
52.5
DESI 2018
12
51.9
49.8
DESI 2017
12
49.2
46.9
Source: European Commission (2019f).

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Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020
To provide an even more detailed insight into 
Austria’s standing in terms of information and com-
munication technology, the relevant sub-indicators 
for connectivity (see Table 1-9), human capital (see 
Table 1-10) and integration of digital technology (see 
Table 1-11) are shown below. The aim is to paint a 
more accurate picture of the scale of technical linkag-
es and infrastructure, people’s digital skills and the 
degree of digitalisation at companies. Taken together, 
these indicators provide a good overview of the posi-
tion enjoyed by digitalisation in the economy and so-
ciety. Sub-indicators for internet use and digital pub-
lic services from the DESI are not shown here in detail 
as information on internet use is presented later on 
using sub-indices from the Global Innovation Index. 
Looking at the sub-indicators for connectivity, 
Austria is above the EU average for its 4G coverage, 
5G readiness and fixed broadband coverage, but 
consistently below the average – in some cases con-
siderably – for how much this infrastructure is used 
(see Table 1-7). For instance, one in three people in 
Austria has access to a 5G frequency, compared to 
the EU average of 14%. However, only 23% of all Aus-
trian households were using fast broadband connec-
tions in 2019 (EU: 41%), while only 7% were using ul-
tra-fast broadband connections (EU: 20%). The DESI 
report points to the switch from fixed to mobile 
broadband services as a potential explanation for 
this poor performance, an argument that could also 
be supported by Austria’s high level of 4G coverage. 
In addition, the country’s above-average broadband 
price index indicates relatively cheap prices, sug-
gesting that high costs are not the reason for the low 
take-up. 
In terms of human capital, Austria is above the EU 
average for all the sub-indicators assessed. This is 
the case for basic and advanced skills and software 
skills as well as the percentages of ICT specialists 
and ICT graduates (see Table 1-10). One noticeable 
aspect of the connectivity comparison is the fact 
that Austria possesses above-average digital skills 
compared with the rest of the EU even though house-
holds use comparatively fewer fixed and mobile 
broadband services.