Magenta
Telekom

In 2022, Magenta Telekom received the following awards:

• Best mobile network in Austria according to “connect”
• Best broadband operator: Magenta is the best nationwide broadband operator in Austria according to “connect” and “PC Magazine” 
• The best residential customer hotline according to “connect”
• The preferred operator for B2B companies in the customer barometer according to “connect”
• Best service App  for consumers according to “connect”  
• Lead Employer in Austria – for the fourth time in a row according to “Leading Employer”
• Popular employer according to an evaluation by the “Kurier” newspaper
• “Sustainable company” according to an evaluation by the “Kurier” newspaper

Magenta is calling on its customers to return smartphones that are no longer in use to Magenta stores. This allows the devices to be recycled and valuable resources can be saved. Campaigns like these have a beneficial influence and a positive impact on nature and society as a whole.

Two key projects support smartphone recycling at Magenta stores:

The “Ö3-Wundertüte”
According to expert estimates, there is an average of three unused cellphones or smartphones in every household. Austria’s biggest radio station Ö3 launched the sustainability campaign “Ö3-Wundertüte” (Ö3 Lucky Bag) in 2005. Since then, the radio station has been collecting lots of unused smartphones every year. People in Austria are invited to put their old cellphones in the “Ö3 Wundertüte” (a small paper bag) and return the “Wundertüte” to any post office in Austria. Damaged devices are recycled, and any recyclable materials are reused. Devices that still work can be used again. This campaign extends the life cycles of smartphones and fewer new devices are needed. The recycling process is also profitable because any money generated is used to support organizations like the annual telethon “Licht ins Dunkel” and the social service organization “Caritas” with the work they do help families in need in Austria.

For the first time in 2022/2023, Magenta is also supporting the “Ö3-Wundertüte” campaign. The paper bags will be available in all Magenta stores and cellphones that are no longer in use can also be handed in directly at our stores.

Gut Ottenstein
The “Ottenstein Estate” (Gut Ottenstein) is a veritable natural treasure located in the districts of Zwettl and Krems in Lower Austria. Huge expanses of forest, meadows and water cover an area of 3 200 hectares here. But global warming increases the spread of pests and the possibility of extreme weather conditions. At the Ottenstein Estate, this results in damage from vermin and storms. Big parts of the Ottenstein Estate are seriously affected, and reforestation measures are urgently needed. By returning their old cellphones, people in Austria can help to preserve a piece of indigenous natural landscape in its full beauty. For every smartphone returned, Magenta donates money for reforestation.

On average, Austrians buy a new cellphone every two years. But awareness is growing and the number of people who are concerned about sustainability is on the rise. As far as they are concerned, a used iPhone with a contract is meeting their user demands just as well as a new device. This approach enables these customers to help save resources and money. Magenta Telekom is responding to the trend with its “Magenta Refurbished” offer, which includes refurbished phones like the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone SE, and the iPhone XS.

The positive effects on the environment are enormous: Every year, 42 million metric tons of electronic waste are being generated by the global population. The reuse of old devices, as in the case of a Magenta Refurbished iPhone, makes a positive contribution and saves waste. In addition, clear savings effects are tangible for natural resources: Anyone who buys a used iPhone 8 with a contract saves 100 liters of water and an average of 55.5 kilograms of CO₂.

First place in the Magenta TUN 2022 challenge goes to the AvaAssist project. The online platform supports people with disabilities and those in need of assistance in the organization, implementation, and billing of assistance services. The projects micromacro, PATHfindr and Traivelling share second place. Magenta TUN is one of the most important sustainability prizes in Austria and awards EUR 50 000 annually. The TUN award ceremony was held on 28 June 2022, the first day of the 4GameChangers Festival in Vienna.

“Sustainability is gaining momentum across the globe. As a telecommunications company, it is our mission to encourage and provide sustainable infrastructures. Connection is our daily business and our cable and mobile network is an essential part of Austria’s digital infrastructure. We are determined to further expand our technologies and digital solutions so that we can not only connect with each other in our private and professional lives but also connect vital institutions such as medical facilities, as well as support climate research. Magenta TUN is an important initiative to engage sustainable growth within information and telecommunications technology. Our intent is to encourage long-term digital solutions which contribute to helping the environment,” commented Rodrigo Diehl, CEO of Magenta Telekom and TUN jury member, as he explained the company’s commitment to Magenta TUN.

The online platform AvaAssist took first place this year and received EUR 20 000. The platform focuses on teaching digital skills to people with disabilities in order to strengthen their capacity for self-determination. Organizational tasks carried out between supporting organizations, clients and assistants need to be enhanced in the best possible way - with the help of AvaAssist. The pilot project is a cooperation between the companies Inclusion24, a long-standing and experienced provider of personal assistance, and atempo, an inclusive social enterprise that promotes equal living with its products.

micromacro, PATHfindr and Traivelling share second place with an award of EUR 10 000 each. Micromacro is an AI-based monitoring tool for observing green spaces with the aim of counteracting biodiversity loss.

PATHfindr is an online mentoring program for young people that enables them to connect with other apprentices, schools, companies and students in order to provide premium support for their decision-making in further education.

traivelling is a booking site providing customers with the cheapest options for national short-distance and intercontinental train journeys – a more environmentally friendly alternative to CO₂-intensive flying.

In view of the increasing numbers of people in catastrophic plight, Magenta is determined to give fast and unbureaucratic assistance. Ukrainian SIM cards enable users to surf the Internet and make phone calls in the Magenta network free of charge until further notice. From the beginning of the war in February 2022 until the end of 2022, Magenta did not charge any roaming costs to the Ukrainian network operators.

Ukrainian refugees are received by aid organizations such as Caritas when they arrive. Only carrying essential items with them, they are in need of support.

In addition to exemption from the costs outlined above, Magenta has been working on other offers of help to establish assistance quickly. We provided almost 50 000 free Klax prepaid cards for Ukrainians fleeing the war. This means that those affected can telephone their families in Ukraine after they have arrived in Austria. The SIM cards provided contain data volume of 1 GB, 500 minutes of telephony and 500 texts within Austria. In addition, refugees can make free calls to Ukraine. Aid also includes Internet equipment in refugee accommodation: Magenta is providing 270 free routers for use in accommodation organized by Caritas, the Red Cross and other aid organizations.

Furthermore, Magenta employees raised EUR 25 000 to help people in Ukraine. With this donation, emergency aid packages can ensure emergency supplies for 1 000 Ukrainian households. Magenta increased the amount by threefold, so a total of EUR 75 000 went to the emergency aid of Caritas.

Digital inclusion is an important concern for us. The ConnectedKids initiative is our way of supporting the education sector by developing the school of the future, where parents, teachers, children, and young people have the necessary media skills. Taking on digital and social responsibility is one of the basic ideas behind the ConnectedKids project launched by Magenta Telekom in 2013. This unbureaucratic, digital solution for schools facilitates a simple, uncomplicated and free access to the use of mobile devices. For six weeks, the children use tablets to study in a completely innovative way. Away from the idea of avoidance of and protection from digitalization, we move toward the idea of digital emancipation.  This approach is important, since the digital world has now become a part of everyday life – also for children and young people. The associated potential and opportunities are almost limitless. Accompanying children and young people through the digital jungle promotes a more critical and conscious perception. This in turn leads to independent and responsible use of digital media.

ConnectedKids enables schools without a digital infrastructure to lay a foundation for the digital future. In addition to tablets and mobile Internet, ConnectedKids enriches everyday school life with digital and pedagogical know-how, so children can explore digital possibilities in the classroom independently. By the end of the 2021/2022 school year, 235 schools, 1 160 classes, 1 180 teachers, and more than 20 000 students had taken part in the ConnectedKids project and gained an insight into the digital world of education.

Magenta Telekom used the last amendment to the general terms and conditions in May 2022 to explicitly state and anchor the commitment against online hate speech. Customers are informed about criminal consequences and, if they are affected, about recommended measures and reporting points.

The change in the general terms and conditions is part of a wider awareness and education initiative that was developed in 2022. A digital campaign that calls for common civil courage was launched in a rolling program during August 2022. The message: Only about five percent of people spread hate online. Let us show, how loud 95 percent can be. In cooperation with ZARA, the official advice center against online hate, Magenta Telekom is committed to raising awareness and providing information with support from leading influencers, including YouTuber Michi Buchinger. Anyone who is directly affected can report racist discrimination, online hate, hate speech and cyber bullying  directly and anonymously to ZARA's #AgainstHateOnline advice center at any time. If necessary, psychosocial and legal counselors are available free of charge.

According to a current study commissioned by Saferinternet.at and ISPA, almost every second young person in Austria has experienced hate online in one form or another. Cyberbullying and online hate speech are real problems that often cause great harm to those affected. Magenta Telekom has been campaigning against online hate for many years and now wants to be the first Internet operator to position itself clearly against the vocal minority that spreads hate online and divides society. According to a study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and the #iamhere initiative, just five percent of accounts are responsible for 50 percent of hate-likes in the comment columns.                                                                                                                                                                             

“The explosion of hate speech represents an unprecedented challenge for our societies. While hate speech has always existed, its ever-growing impact fueled by digital communication can be devastating not only for those targeted, but also for society at large. As a network operator, it is our responsibility to take action against hate speech. We want to encourage people to speak up loudly and clearly against online hate rather than looking away. Our campaign against hate speech addresses people who are affected by hate speech by saying: You are not alone. Hate has no place at Magenta and no place in our society. We aim to bring hate speech into focus. We want to raise awareness and we want to set a clear sign that the majority of society cannot be oppressed by the 5 percent of people who use hate speech online. Therefore, Magenta adjusted its terms and conditions in order to take an important step together against hate on the Internet”, says Rodrigo Diehl, CEO of Magenta Telekom.