Release of 28.05.2020
A1 Telekom Austria Group Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Teleport Aflenz in Austria
© A1 Telekom Austria Group
One of Europe´s largest satellite relay stations for 40 years in operations
• May 30, 1980: Opening of Teleport Aflenz
• World-ranking architecture by Prof. Gustav Peichl
• More than 60 antennas transmit data at the speed of light at a range of 36.000 km to the satellite
As one of Europe´s largest satellite relay stations, Teleport Aflenz is not only one of the most relevant high-tech interfaces of Austria to the world, but also a one-time architectural building. With the Teleport, Austria has had its own 'ears' to space since 1980! This enables A1, the Austrian subsidiary of A1 Telekom Austria Group, to offer a complete portfolio of satellite-based services in more than 70 countries. Aflenz is connected via the A1 Telekom Austria Group backbone in 47 countries worldwide.
Architecture in harmony with nature
Teleport Aflenz started its operations on May 30, 1980. The building, designed by the Viennese architect Prof. Gustav Peichl, is embedded almost invisibly in the landscape of Styria and offers 130,000 m² of space for the latest high-tech equipment for ultra-fast data transmission. It is considered to be one of the most successful architectural solutions in Austria and was awarded the Prize of the Province of Styria for Architecture and the "Geramb-Dankzeichen für Gutes Bauen".
Originally built in just 17 months with a total investment of more than 600 million shillings (around 44 million euros) including all technical equipment, numerous new investments have been made in recent years. All technical equipment has been replaced by digital systems and additional antennas have been installed, so that Teleport Aflenz is now state-of-the-art in terms of information technology. As a result, huge multimedia data volumes can be transmitted worldwide in fractions of a second.
From earth to space and back: travelling at the speed of light
In total, Aflenz is hosting more than 60 antennas. The diameter of the largest antenna with a weight of 275 tons measures 32 meters; this corresponds to about eight car lengths. Each individual antenna is in contact with a satellite, which in turn is responsible for transferring data to a specific region of the earth. All antennas send their signals to the satellite at the speed of light over a distance of 36,000 km. The data races through space at 300,000 km/s. When the world looks at Austria, Aflenz is also the media interface. This is where millions of people around the globe are brought closer to Austria, be it through the world-famous New Year's Concert, the Opera Ball or an important sporting or political event.
Solar energy for data transmission at the speed of light
A photovoltaic park built in 2013 supplies the energy for the Teleport. The photovoltaic ground-mounted system comprises 790 photovoltaic modules on 4800 m2. Approx. 190,000 kWh per year are being produced and directly fed into the Teleport power system; this means a saving of around 90,000 kg of CO2 per year.
Facts & Figures
• One of Europe's largest satellite relay stations
• Ultra-modern, high-tech satellite facility consisting of over 60 antennas on 130,000 m2
• Digital transmission at the speed of light - worldwide data transmission within 400 milliseconds
• Reference station for calibration and steering satellites – ESVA (Earth Station Verification Approval) & TVCSM Tests
• Integral part of the international terrestrial backbone network of A1 Telekom Austria Group
• Access to orbital arc between 55° West to 85° East
• Interference free location in the Austrian Alps
• NOC 24/7
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