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Michael Stabentheiner
What bandwidths are available?
How stable are the data connections?
And how quickly can cloud systems or international networks be reached?
These are often the first questions companies ask when considering a new location.
An efficient infrastructure plays a particularly important role in Carinthia. Many industrial companies, service providers and tourism businesses are located outside of large metropolitan areas in valleys, rural regions or alpine locations.
The expansion of fibre optic networks is therefore being driven forward in a targeted manner. BIK Breitbandinitiative Kärnten GmbH plays a central role in this, coordinating the expansion together with network operators and municipalities
Tinefoto
Digital infrastructure as a locational factor
Martin Zandonella, Managing Director of Net4You
„Especially in regions with many decentralised locations, a stable digital connection is crucial.“
Today (as of March 2026), around 45% of municipalities are already connected to high-performance fibre optic networks or are in the process of expanding them. BIK’s current project volume is around 260 million euros and is expected to rise to over 300 million euros. In total, investments in the sum of billions have been made in digital infrastructure in Carinthia in recent years – together with private network operators.
In this interview, Martin Zandonella, Managing Director of Carinthian IT and internet provider Net4You, explains what “good internet” means in practice and why Carinthia differs from many other rural regions.
Carinthia.com: Mr Zandonella, what role does Net4You play in Carinthia’s digital infrastructure ecosystem?
Martin Zandonella: We design, implement and operate hybrid ICT solutions for companies of all sizes. These include internet connections, telephony, servers, local networks and IT security solutions.
Hybrid means that we combine different components: local infrastructure, private cloud systems and public cloud services. The aim is always to create a stable and secure overall solution for companies.
When companies say, “we need good internet”, what does that mean in practice, especially in a region like Carinthia?
Martin Zandonella: Many people think of speed first. In practice, however, something else is just as crucial: the availability of the connection.
As long as everything is running smoothly, this is rarely an issue. But as soon as connections become unstable or fail, you quickly realise how dependent companies are on reliable networks. If a line fails, an alternative must be available immediately.
At the same time, short response times play an important role. For example, when employees access company systems from their home office or run applications in the cloud, then everything has to work quickly and smoothly. New infrastructure projects such as the ALPSiX internet exchange point will bring significant improvement here, as data paths will be shorter and connections will be more stable.
What special challenges are there in the expansion of digital infrastructure in Carinthia?
Martin Zandonella: In Carinthia, there are many companies outside of large metropolitan areas, for example in tourism or industry. Some locations are high up in the mountains or in valleys with a low population density.
Today, fibre optic expansion also makes it possible to connect such companies efficiently. This allows locations to remain competitive and companies to use their digital applications reliably.
Can you give a specific example?
Martin Zandonella: A hotel high up on a mountain comes to mind. The guests there naturally expect WiFi of the best quality. At the same time, a modern IT infrastructure with booking systems, payment processes and digital administration programmes runs in the background. The hotel is connected to an office in the valley via fibre optics and has redundant connections. This means that operations can run stably around the clock, regardless of the weather. Without a fibre optic connection to both locations, such a concept would hardly be feasible.
Monte Nero