New provider

Provider, schedule

• The University of Vienna's new business phone provider is Hutchison Drei Austria GmbH (Drei for short).
• Drei will take over the operation of business phones from the previous provider A1 at the end of April 2024. Between 00:00 and 04:00 on 29 April 2024, all phone numbers will be ported, i.e. transferred unchanged to the new provider (number porting). 
• For technical reasons, business phone contracts can only be registered or changed again from 2 May 2024. The ZID asks for your understanding.

Service

• Reception and coverage are of course guaranteed at all locations of the University of Vienna, even at exposed or remote locations.
• All SIM cards will have access to the 5G network in the future.
• Voice-over-Wi-Fi and Voice-over-LTE also work with an additional SIM. 
• All SIM cards from the new provider allow up to 300 Mbit/s download and 50 Mbit/s upload. The previous contract allowed a maximum of 40 Mbit/s download and 10 Mbit/s upload for most SIM cards. 

Phone numbers

• The business mobile phone numbers in the format +43-664-817xxxx will be ported, i.e. they will remain unchanged.
• The university's internal speed dialling numbers remain unchanged:
  • Business mobile phone to business mobile phone or u:phone device to u:phone device: dial desired u:phone extension.
  • Business mobile phone to u:phone device and vice versa: dial 90 + u:phone extension.

• Even after porting at the end of April 2024, the old A1 corporate number in the format +43-664-60277-u:phone extension can still be reached by phone.
• The SMS availability of the A1 Corporate number in the format +43-664-60277-u:phone extension ends one day before porting, on 28 April 2024. If you have stored this number for SMS notifications from online services (e.g. mobile phone parking, online banking), you must change the stored phone number.

Mobile phone and other devices

In principle, you can continue to use your mobile phone after the change of provider, only the SIM card will be replaced.

• Exception: mobile phones with a SIM lock must be replaced. If necessary, the ZID will arrange cheap mobile phones from the new provider's range until porting. For more information, use the form Diensthandy (business phone, in German). If necessary, a device with a SIM lock can be unlocked in an A1 shop for a fee (not recommended).
• Business phones with a SIM lock are 5 years old or older and were procured by the ZID. If in doubt, check whether a SIM lock is installed on your business phone by inserting a SIM card from a provider other than A1. Alternatively, you can visit an A1 shop or contact the ZID using the form Diensthandy (business phone, in German). iPhone users can check whether there is a SIM lock under Settings – General – About.

In order to be reachable with your phone number on several devices at the same time, you can receive up to 4 additional SIM cards in the future (currently: 2).

Tariffs

All new basic tariffs include 3,000 free minutes for voice calls and 1,000 SMS/MMS. 4 tariffs also include a monthly data volume depending on the price. Free minutes, SMS/MMS and data can be used in Austria and when travelling throughout the EU: EU roaming (voice calls, data, text messages) is included as standard in the new basic tariffs.

Additional costs only arise

• if you make calls or send SMS/MMS from Austria to other countries – including other EU countries – or
• if you use your business phone while you are outside the EU (roaming)

These additional costs are charged according to usage. In future, the tariffs for this will be significantly cheaper than before. 

For long calls abroad, the ZID recommends u:phone as the cheapest alternative. 

Billing

Your tariff will be automatically transferred by the ZID to one of the new basic tariffs from Drei based on the packages currently booked with A1. After the switch, you can see which tariff has been assigned to you in the Servicedesk and change the tariff if desired. 

For cost centre managers, only the amount charged will change. You do not have to do anything. 

• For the month of the changeover, probably April 2024, cost centre managers will receive 2 separate invoices: one from the previous provider A1 and one from the new provider Drei.
• For technical reasons, the first invoice from the new provider will probably arrive a little later than usual. The ZID asks for your understanding.

Porting

• The distribution of the new SIM cards is complete.
• The porting will take place on 29 April between 00:00 and 04:00 at night. During this time, calls will be forwarded to the voicemail box of the provider operating the business mobile phone number at that time. Similarly, text messages will be delivered by the respective provider. For a short time (15–30 minutes), your business mobile phone number will be unavailable and callers will hear an announcement from the provider. 
• The morning after porting, remove the A1 SIM card from your device and insert the new Drei SIM card. – User guide Changing the SIM card
• The card is already activated and you can use your business mobile phone immediately. When you insert the new SIM card, you automatically accept the new Business Phone Terms of Use.
• Voice messages left in the A1 voicemail box before or during porting can no longer be retrieved after porting. Text messages that were delivered by A1 during porting are available on the device and can therefore be retrieved after porting. Contacts stored on the old A1 SIM card will also no longer be available. Download these contacts before porting and save them on another storage medium.

eSIM

If your device supports eSIM, you can use your business phone with eSIM. User guide Using a business phone with eSIM

If you would like to switch from a SIM card to eSIM, please do so after porting. To do this, use the form Tausch-SIM-Karte bestellen (Order exchange SIM card, in German). It is not possible to switch from SIM card to eSIM before porting. 

If you already use an eSIM, you must activate it yourself after porting. To do this, you need an Internet connection for your business phone (e.g. WLAN) and a second device with which you can receive e-mails (e.g. PC or laptop). You will receive an e-mail with a QR code for activating the new eSIM from Drei on 29 April between 07:00 and 09:00.

1. First delete the A1 eSIM from your business phone.
2. Then open the e-mail on your second device.
3. Scan the QR code with your business phone and proceed as described in the e-mail.

When you activate the new eSIM, you automatically accept the new Business Phone Terms of Use (in German).

After porting, voice messages stored in the A1 Mobilbox are no longer available! Download voice messages before porting and save them on another storage medium.