Magenta Austria Review: It Is Just Good Enough (+Speedtests)

In March 2021, I returned from Taiwan after a year.

Then I did not go on a trip for a year because of travel restrictions.

So in February 2022, I decided I would go on a trip again in March 2022.

Mostly because travel restrictions were being lifted left and right.

So, what is the best way to catch up on a year of lost travel time?

Visit as many countries as you can within a month.

I visited Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia & Slovenia.

I really love how easy it is to travel throughout Europe!

During this trip, I (re-)tested 41 local SIM cards, like Magenta Telekom, Airalo's Eurolink Europe eSIM, Nomad's Europe eSIM & SimCorner's Europe travel SIM cards.

If you have read any of my SIM card buying guides before, like the Austrian one, or watched a YouTube video of mine, you know that I am crazy enough to buy and test so many SIM cards.

If this is your first Phone Travel Wiz review – welcome.

I buy and test all/most SIM cards in a country and tell you which ones are the best so that you do not have to 😎.

You may recognize the color uses for Magenta Telekom.

It looks earily similar to (Deutsche) Telekom and T-Mobile, right?

Well, Magenta Telekom is owned by (Deutsche) Telekom… so that is why 🤪.

You have probably heard of Telekom/T-Mobile before – perhaps you even use T-Mobile/Telekom's services at home.

Or you may have tried T-Mobile/Telekom in another country.

T-Mobile/Telekom is often the best in the country (except for in Romania… be warned!)

So what about in Austria? Is Magenta Telekom any good?

The only way to find out is to test Magenta Telekom and compare it with the other Austrian SIM cards (A1 Austria and Drei Austria).

And that is what I did – and I will share my experience in this review.

Let's get started, shall we?

Original publication: 17^th of October 2022. Last updated: 15^th of January 2024.

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Table of Contents

Who is Magenta Telekom?

If you have been to other European countries (or the United States) before, you will have heard of T-Mobile or Country+Telekom (like Makedonski Telekom in North Macedonia).

Telekom is active in various European countries and the United States, but it is known as T-Mobile in the latter and the Netherlands.

As I mentioned in the introduction, T-Mobile/Telekom is often the best option in a country as the fastest, the one with the best coverage, or both (except for Romania).

In Austria, Magenta Telekom was known as T-Mobile Austria until 2019.

In December 2017, it decided to acquire UPC Austria and dropped the T-Mobile and UPC brands, and renamed itself as Magenta Telekom.

In Austria, you have three mobile operators:

• A1 Austria
• Magenta Telekom (formerly T-Mobile Austria)
• Drei (3) Austria

Of course, I tested the other two mobile operators during my trip to Austria in March. You can read them here: A1 Austria and Drei Austria.

You also have many Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), like Lycamobile Austria, but they are honestly not worth your time.

Let's talk about Magenta Telekom's coverage first, after these quick frequency details:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 MHz (Band 1) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
• 5G NR: 700 MHz (n28), 2100 MHz (n1) & 3500 MHz (n78) – not for prepaid customers (yet)
• VoLTE: Yes
• VoWiFi: Yes

Here you have Magenta Telekom's APN settings:

• Name: T-Mobile A Internet
• APN: internet.t-mobile.at
• Username: t-mobile
• Password: tm

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

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Magenta Telekom Coverage + My Experience

You can have a mobile operator providing you 1 Gbps download speeds.

But it will be useless if it covers only one street in Austria.

So, how is Magenta Telekom's coverage?

Regarding 4G/LTE availability, Magenta Telekom has the best availability, with an availability score of 98.3%. Followed by A1 Austria (97.3%) and Drei Austria (97.1%).

When looking at 5G NR, Magenta Telekom is also winning the 5G NR availability race (13.6%) with A1 Austria (13.1%), followed by Drei Austria (9.5%).

When we take a look at 5G NR reach, Magenta Telekom is still winning, with a reach score of 4.3 (on a 10-point scale), ahead of A1 Austria (4) and Drei Austria (2.4).

So far, I have been talking about coverage from other reports, but what was my coverage experience with Magenta Telekom?

It was excellent, honestly – I had nothing to complain about.

I do not recall having many reception blackspots – not even on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn in Vienna.

But also on the bus to and from Slovakia – reception at the border was still strong (although it slowly switched to 3G… but that is common at borders).

Here you have a Magenta Telekom coverage map produced by Speedtest:

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How to Get a Magenta Telekom SIM Card & Prices

Now that you have a basic understanding of Magenta Telekom and the telecom market in Austria, it is now time to talk about how to actually get a Magenta Telekom SIM card.

Unlike many countries in Europe, especially the European Union, I recommend visiting a Magenta Telekom store to get your SIM card.

That is because of the SIM card registration laws in Austria – SIM card registration is mandatory.

Oh… and you often have to pay to get your SIM card registered – more about that later.

Austrian SIM cards are also sold by third parties, like grocery stores or convenience stores like in many other countries.

But they may not always have the best starter pack deals lying around.

Anyway, here is a Magenta Telekom store locator.

But be aware that Magenta Telekom SIM cards are not sold at Vienna International Airport (VIE).

There is a SIM card reseller (Wowww) charging 20 EUR for a SIM card and 20 EUR for registration alone (40 EUR) – and then you still need to add a plan! So you better avoid it.

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Disclaimer: the SIM card prices mentioned in the review were current when I was in Austria – the offering and prices may have changed since then. To see Magenta Austria's current starter packs, check out my Austria SIM card buying guide.

Before I continue, I do want to talk a bit more about SIM card registration in Austria.

In the majority of (European) countries, SIM card registration schemes exist – those can (often) not be avoided, unfortunately.

What is infuriating about Austria (and Germany) is that the mobile operators may charge you for registration.

Yes… pay for something that is mandated by law!

Luckily… the registration fee is often not as outrageous at Vienna International Airport (20 EUR), but I still find paying for registration insulting.

Magenta Telekom charges up to 10 EUR for registration on top of the SIM card starter pack.

However, the fee is not strictly enforced – the Magenta Telekom salesperson registered my SIM card without charging me.

Even then, there is a way to avoid paying this fee: by registering your SIM card online.

I did this with my Drei Austria SIM card (because paying 10 EUR is outrageous), but because part of the registration process is in German and the verification software is slow as hell, it can be a time-consuming process.

It took me 30 minutes with my broken German – that is why I was eventually willing to pay the A1 Austria registration fee (5 EUR) afterward (but also because I had only one day in Vienna… I did not feel like spending an hour on registration 🗿).

Alright – back to how to get a Magenta Telekom SIM card, lol (but it is vital to be aware of the registration fees or how to avoid them).

I got my Magenta Telekom SIM card in Vienna at Keplerplatz.

This is the same square where I got my A1 Austria and Drei Austria SIM cards.

There were plenty of salespeople willing to help me that afternoon (although this specific store has many bad reviews that the wait can be lengthy).

I asked for the 10 EUR Klax Wertkarte, with 8 GB of data and 1000 local/EU minutes/SMS for 28 days.

Unfortunately, this starter pack was out of stock, but the salesperson was willing to sell me the 15 EUR Klax Wertkarte (15 GB, 10 GB EU/EEA data, 1500 local/EU minutes/SMS for 28 days) for 10 EUR instead.

What does Magenta Telekom consider to be the EU/EEA? Below is a list:

I thought this was very generous and accepted it.

But I later discovered that you will always pay only 10 EUR for this supposedly 15 EUR starter pack for the first 28 days 🥴.

Magenta Telekom is bamboozling you if you do not know better 🗿.

Anyway, because SIM card registration was done in-store, the SIM card was activated instantly.

If you register your SIM card online, it can take a few minutes before it is active (but you will receive an SMS when it is active – in German of course).

Oh, be aware that not all passports are accepted for online registration. I do not have a list of unsupported countries… but if registration does not work after two or three tries, then you know why. And many Magenta Telekom stores will happily charge to help you out 🥲.

If you only want data, you can get the Internet Klax SIM cards – Magenta Telekom's data-only offering.

The following three Magenta Telekom Internet Klax SIM cards are available:

Price	SIM Card	Data	Speed	Validity
10 EUR	Mobile Internet Klax Basic	N/A	N/A	12 months
25 EUR	Internet Klax 30 Startpaket	“Unlimited”, 5 TB	30 Mbps/6 Mbps	28 days
35 EUR	Internet Klax 70 Startpaket	“Unlimited”, 5 TB	70 Mbps/14 Mbps	28 days

When I was in Vienna, Magenta Telekom did not offer eSIMs to prepaid customers.

And I do not think they will do so anytime soon.

But if you think that paying for SIM card registration is outrageous or really want to use an eSIM in Austria, you can consider getting a travel eSIM for Austria.

I tried out Airalo's Eurolink eSIM in Austria (on the Drei Austria network) and the Nomad Europe eSIM (also on the Drei Austria network)

They worked well (and were cheaper than Austrian SIM cards when taking SIM card prices, registration fees & plans into account).

Anyway, I compare the best Austria travel eSIMs in my comparison guide and drop a few discount codes for you 😏.

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Magenta Telekom Plans, Bundles & Offers

Magenta Telekom has four data-featured prepaid plans:

• Klax Plans (combo)
• Mobile Internet Klax (data for data-only SIM card)
• Klax Flex Volume Boost (combo add-ons using a unit system)
• Klax Data Volume Boost (data add-ons)

All Magenta Telekom plans can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 06722222.

Disclaimer: these were the available plans at the time I was in Austria – the offering may have changed since then (including whether 5G NR is available to prepaid customers or not). To see Magenta Telekom's current plans, check out my Austria SIM card buying guide (which gets updated regularly – at least once a year).

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Klax Plans

The Klax Plans are combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

Text the Activation Code to 06722222 to activate Klax Plans:

Price	Plan	Data	Speed (Download/Upload)	EU/EEA Data	Local/EU Minutes	International Minutes	Local/EU SMS	Validity	Activation Code	Deactivation Code
10 EUR	Klax S	8 GB	20 Mbps/5 Mbps	N/A	1000 minutes	N/A	Shared with call allowance	28 days	S	Stop S
15 EUR	Klax M	15 GB	50 Mbps/10 Mbps	10 GB	1500 minutes	N/A	Shared with call allowance	28 days	M	Stop M
20 EUR	Klax L	20 GB	100 Mbps/50 Mbps	14 GB	2000 minutes	100 minutes	Shared with call allowance	28 days	L	Stop L
30 EUR	Klax XL	30 GB	150 Mbps/50 Mbps	20 GB	3000 minutes	150 minutes	Shared with call allowance	28 days	XL	Stop XL

Mobile Internet Klax Plans

The Mobile Internet Klax Plans are data bundles (without 5G NR access) for the Internet Klax data-only SIM card.

Text the Activation Code to 06722222 to activate Mobile Internet Klax:

Price	Plan	Data	Speed	Validity	Activation Code	Deactivation Code
8 EUR	Mobile Internet Klax S	8 GB	20 Mbps/5 Mbps	28 days	Internet Klax S	Stop Internet Klax S
18 EUR	Mobile Internet Klax M	18 GB	50 Mbps/10 Mbps	28 days	Internet Klax M	Stop Internet Klax M
25 EUR	Internet Klax 30 Startpaket	“Unlimited”, 5 TB	30 Mbps/6 Mbps	28 days	Dedicated SIM card purchase	Do not top-up
35 EUR	Internet Klax 70 Startpaket	“Unlimited”, 5 TB	70 Mbps/14 Mbps	28 days	Dedicated SIM card purchase	Do not top-up

Klax Flex Volume Boost Add-Ons

The Klax Flex Volume Boost Add-Ons are combo add-ons using a unit system. They cannot be purchased as standalone plans.

1 unit equals 1 MB (without 5G NR access), 1 minute, or 1 SMS.

Text the Activation Code to 06722222 to activate Klax Flex Volume Boost:

Price	Plan	Units	Validity	Activation Code	Deactivation Code
1 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Flex Volume Boost 100	100 units	Until plan expires	Flex 100	Stop Flex 100
4 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Flex Volume Boost 1000	1000 units	Until plan expires	Flex 1000	Stop Flex 1000
6 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Flex Volume Boost 3000	3000 units	Until plan expires	Flex 3000	Stop Flex 3000
9 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Flex Volume Boost 5000	5000 units	Until plan expires	Flex 5000	Stop Flex 5000

Klax Flex Volume Boost auto-renew. To disable auto-renewal, text the Deactivation Code to 06722222.

Klax Data Volume Boost Add-Ons

The Klax Data Volume Boost Add-Ons are data add-ons (without 5G NR access). They cannot be purchased as standalone plans.

Text the Activation Code to 06722222 to activate Klax Data Volume Boost:

Price	Plan	Data	Validity	Activation Code	Deactivation Code
1 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Data Volume Boost 100 MB	100 MB	Until plan expires	100 MB	STOP 100 MB
4 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Data Volume Boost 1 GB	1 GB	Until plan expires	1 GB	STOP 1 GB
6 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Data Volume Boost 3 GB	3 GB	Until plan expires	3 GB	STOP 3 GB
9 EUR	Zusatzpaket Klax Data Volume Boost 5 GB	5 GB	Until plan expires	5 GB	STOP 5 GB

EU Roaming

You can use your Magenta Telekom allowances in the following EU/EEA member states without paying roaming fees:

Be aware that, in some cases, the EU/EEA roaming allowance is lower than the domestic allowances.

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Magenta Telekom Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check

Magenta Telekom top-up vouchers are sold in Magenta Telekom stores, grocery stores, corner shops & electronics shops throughout Austria.

I did not have to recharge my Magenta Telekom SIM card because Austria was a short stop on my one-month Europe trip.

But I will still let you know about topping up your Magenta Telekom SIM card.

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Magenta Telekom Speed Test Results (in Vienna)

Alright, now it is time to talk about the speeds you can expect with Magenta Telekom after covering all the other essential topics like coverage.

But before I share my eight speed test results in Vienna, I want to set the stage first and make a small comparison with Magenta Telekom's competition.

Magenta Telekom is regarded by Speedtest as the slowest mobile operator in Austria in Q1 of 2022.

With a median download speed of 47.07 Mbps, Magenta Telekom is behind Drei Austria (53.73 Mbps) and A1 Austria (69.80 Mbps).

However, when we look at 5G NR, Magenta Telekom (160.10 Mbps) is ahead of A1 Austria (123.35 Mbps) but behind Drei Austria (267.86 Mbps).

Unfortunately, 5G NR is not available to prepaid customers (yet).

But even when 5G NR is opened up to Magenta Telekom prepaid customers, you probably still will not experience full 5G NR speeds (up to 1 Gbps – more about that later).

Okay, those were valuable insights – let's talk about my speed test results now.

I did speed tests with the Speedtest app at various test locations in Vienna.

Here are the results:

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My Overall Experience with Magenta Telekom – Is It Any Good?

I would recommend Magenta Telekom, but it may not be my first choice.

Getting a Magenta Telekom SIM card was straightforward, and activation was quick.

While I did not have to pay for registration, many Magenta Telekom stores charge 10 EUR for this service.

Magenta Telekom has the best 4G/LTE and 5G NR availability in Austria.

However, 5G NR was unavailable to prepaid customers when I was in Austria.

While Magenta Telekom has relatively generous data-featured prepaid plans for Austrian and regional standards, you have to pay at least 20 EUR for a Klax plan to be allowed to get download speeds of up to 100 Mbps – the cheaper plans restrict you to 20 Mbps or 50 Mbps.

Unfortunately, this is a standard in Austria – luckily, most countries do not impose speed restrictions (for prepaid customers).

Because of these speed restrictions, I could not experience Magenta Telekom's raw performance.

But at least I got a median download speed of 47 Mbps of the maximum of 50 Mbps imposed on my plan; I was satisfied with the results (even though Magenta Telekom has the slowest 4G/LTE speeds in the country).

With extensive coverage and relatively generous data-featured prepaid plans, there is nothing crazy to complain about Magenta Telekom.

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Austrian SIM Card Reviews

As mentioned earlier, I also tried out A1 Austria and Drei Austria when I was in Austria.

You should read those reviews too.

>>> A1 Austria Review | Drei Austria Review <<<

Later, I will make a comparison post of the three Austrian SIM cards I tried… but that will take a while (I have many reviews of other countries that I still need to write, so they are prioritized).

But you can still make an educated purchased after reading the Austrian SIM card reviews.

Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other European SIM cards from this trip.

Austria SIM Card Buying Guide

There are more than ten SIM cards to choose from in Austria besides Magenta Telekom.

I analyze and discuss them in-depth in my Austria SIM card buying guide.