Proximus launches "Fiber for Ghent"
- Over the next 10 years, Proximus will invest 3 billion euro to speed up the roll-out of Fiber in Belgium. Proximus will provide Fiber to more than 85% of all businesses and more than 50% of all households in Belgium.
- Today, Proximus and the City of Ghent presented the "Fiber for Ghent" project, an important step towards the full deployment of Fiber in six Belgian cities.
- Fiber is the fixed network of the future: thanks to unrivalled speeds, with equal upload and download times, Fiber is an enabler for new ways of living and working, offering a very high level of customer satisfaction.
As announced in December, Proximus will start to roll out Fiber in various densely-populated urban areas. Today, it is happening in Co.Station Ghent. In the coming weeks and months, a large number of businesses and homes in Ghent will be connected to Fiber. In recent years, Proximus has deployed Fiber in about 191 business sites, 12 industrial estates, and 19 new housing estates in Ghent. With the launch of the "Fiber for Ghent" project, Proximus will become the first operator in Belgium to also bring Fiber to existing residential homes.
Proximus brings Fiber to homes and businesses
Why is Fiber necessary? In the coming years, data traffic and digital services will continue to grow exponentially, mainly driven by cloud and video applications and by the Internet of Things. As a pioneer in network technologies, Proximus wants to anticipate the needs of its customers and prepare its infrastructure for the future.
That's why Proximus, which has been a pioneer in Fiber for years, launched the "Fiber for Belgium" investment plan in December 2016 to accelerate the roll-out of Fiber in Belgium and reach more than 85% of businesses and more than 50% of households.
Fiber is the ultimate broadband network of the future for both residential and business customers. With Fiber, everyone in the home can enjoy surfing, streaming and gaming instantly and simultaneously, without any delays or loss in quality and with the sharpest images on every screen. Fiber is also the best solution for business customers as it enables more efficient collaboration, greater operating reliability and better data security.
From a financial and operational point of view, it clearly makes sense to combine the roll-out Fiber in businesses and existing homes in densely populated urban areas. That's what will be done in Ghent, where Proximus will roll out Fiber to businesses and residential customers at the same time.
Fiber is the technology that will allow our customers to fully exploit the possibilities of the digital era, boosting download and upload speeds in Belgium to an unprecedented level. In the coming months, residents of Ghent living in the connected zones will be able to discover for themselves that Fiber offers the ultimate broadband experience for surfing, streaming, gaming and working at the speed of light. They will all have the opportunity to get connected to Fiber, without installation costs, even if they're not yet Proximus customers.
An essential step in Ghent's Smart City ambitions
The roll-out of Fiber will make the City of Ghent even more attractive than it is today. Firstly, because it will give its residents and businesses access to the most advanced digital services, which will lead to more growth and employment in the city and the region. Secondly, because Fiber opens infinite new possibilities for the digitalization of the city.
The roll-out of Fiber and the connection of thousands of sensors and devices to improve mobility, public safety and air quality will help Ghent realize its ambition to become the first Smart City in Flanders. In the future, Fiber networks will become an essential part of every city's infrastructure, just like water or electricity.
I am very pleased that Proximus has chosen to start the roll-out of Fiber in Ghent. This fits in perfectly with our plan to become the (Smart) "City of People" of Flanders. An open Fiber network is crucial for Ghent as this future-proof infrastructure will help us achieve our ambitious goals regarding the application of digital technology to social challenges and bringing the Internet of Things to people. The City of Ghent will do everything it can to ensure that the roll-out of Proximus' high-speed Fiber network runs as smoothly as possible.
Dominique Leroy, CEO of Proximus
I am delighted to start our Fiber investment plan here in Ghent because this city is one of the economic and cultural heartlands of Belgium and has always been a great partner of Proximus in pioneering technologies. I am convinced that in the near future the incredible power of Fiber will make Ghent an even more vibrant city. With "Fiber for Ghent", Proximus wants to help Ghent build the digital infrastructure of the future.
Extensive information campaign for residents
Proximus will communicate in an open and transparent way with all residents and businesses in the zones where Fiber is being deployed. The station zone will become the first Fiber zone in Ghent this spring. Thanks to a special communication campaign aimed at the residents of Ghent (including a Fiber web portal, 0800 number and Fiber info point), Proximus shops and local info sessions will provide residents with all the information they need about the roll-out schedule and the advantages of Fiber.
Proximus and the City will also do their utmost to minimize the impact of the works. Before the works start, an analysis will be made to optimize the roll-out and, where possible, to opt for wall installations instead of underground installations.
