Proximus to provide more than 60,000 homes and businesses in the Brussels Periphery with a fiber connection by 2023
During a press conference at the Living Tomorrow premises, Proximus today presented its plans for the rollout of its open fiber network in the Flemish periphery around Brussels. In addition to giving an update on the rollout in Vilvoorde, which started in 2019, CTO Geert Standaert also presented the plans for Grimbergen, Machelen, Zaventem, Kraainem, Wezembeek-Oppem and Tervuren. Over the next two years Proximus will provide over 60,000 homes and businesses in these municipalities with a fiber connection. The ambition is to further expand the footprint thereafter and reach 83% coverage in the municipalities concerned by 2028.
Fiber, an unparalleled technology
Fiber is the ultimate broadband technology of the future, responding to the exponential increase in data traffic for both residential and professional customers. Offering unparalleled speeds and an outstanding experience, it opens the way to new ways of living and working.
With fiber, all members of a household can (tele)work, surf, stream videos and play online games at the same time, without delays or loss of quality. They can each count on an excellent, secure, stable, and reliable customer experience, thanks to a network with virtually unlimited capacity that offers extensive bandwidths. Fiber is a great asset for companies, enabling them to fully exploit all the possibilities of digitization and to remain competitive, agile and innovative. This ultra-fast technology stimulates the adoption of new ways of working and supports the explosion of advanced technological developments in the areas of artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, data analytics and the Internet of Things. Fiber is also environmentally friendly, more energy- efficient and has a longer lifespan than any other fixed Internet technology.
Proximus is already present with its fiber technology on almost every street corner. The next challenge is to close the last few meters into the home or company with fiber.
An ambitious rollout of fiber in Belgium
Five years ago, Proximus therefore announced the "Fiber for Belgium" investment plan, with the aim of rolling out fiber to the majority of businesses and city centers in Belgium. In 2020, the project was significantly accelerated and expanded, supported by the creation of the joint ventures Fiberklaar in Flanders and Unifiber in Wallonia. The envisaged coverage ratio was increased, with the ultimate aim of reaching at least 70% of the Belgian population by 2028. By the end of June this year, 621,000 homes and businesses in our country were already connected to fiber.
In the coming years, the Flemish periphery around Brussels will also gradually be supplied with fiber. In Vilvoorde, the rollout already kicked off in 2019, and recently the construction works have started in Machelen and Kraainem. More than 12,500 homes and businesses in the Brussels Periphery were already connected to the fiber network, primarily in Vilvoorde. In Grimbergen and Tervuren too, works will start before the end of the year. Parts of Zaventem (from early 2022) and Wezembeek-Oppem (from early 2023) will follow.
By the end of 2023, more than 60,000 homes and businesses in these municipalities should be supplied with a fiber connection. However, the ambition remains to gradually expand the coverage ratio thereafter, with more than another 12,500 connections by 2028.
Already implemented / under construction
Estimated coverage by end 2022
Estimated coverage by end 2023
A clear and transparent information campaign
Proximus is committed to open and transparent communication with all residents and businesses in the areas where fiber is rolled out. The residents will be extensively informed about the rollout and the advantages of fiber by means of mailings and local information sessions, thanks to the mobile information point that regularly drives around in the areas, or via the www.proximus.be webpage, on which specific information on the progress of the works can be found.
For additional questions, they can contact a toll-free 0800 number, use a specific e-mail address or call into the local Proximus shop. In addition, Proximus is proactively contacting each business individually to see which fiber solution best fits their specific needs.
Over the past two years we have all experienced first-hand how essential a high-performance, fast and stable internet connection is. As a company, we have anticipated the changing needs of both private customers and businesses in a timely manner. Our fiber network is also an open network, on which all other operators are welcome to offer services. This investment is critical to the growth of our economy and to our digital society as a whole.
Hans BonteMayor of VilvoordeThe COVID-19 epidemic has shown how important it is for each family to be connected to a high-performance and powerful information network. A city like Vilvoorde, with its important number of large families, was confronted with the social price that is paid when children don’t have a good Internet connection. Many people have also experienced how difficult it is to work from home when children are doing homework at the same time. In the meantime, it has become clear that fiber is the best technology for ensuring a fast and stable connection. Vilvoorde is pleased that we partnered with Proximus several years ago and are playing a pioneering role in the region. In the meantime, the realisation has accelerated and the ambition is to have more than 85% of Vilvoorde homes connected by the end of this term. On that front too, we are striving to ensure that everyone is up to speed with the future.
