The costly fiber optic rollout in Belgium may now be borne by several telecommunications operators or providers.

Until now, each provider was responsible for expanding a fiber optic network. Parties like Fiberklare offer their open infrastructure to other parties, but collaboration to build a network and limit the number of earthworks has not yet been permitted by BIPT. That’s changing now.

The telecommunications parties led by Proximus have long been calling for cooperation. Fiber optic expansion is expensive and not particularly efficient if everyone has to work for themselves. However, the BIPT has always advocated different networks in order to ensure sufficient competition. While this used to be logical with telephone lines and coax due to limited bandwidth, this is no longer the case with fiber optic.

Now the Belgian telecoms regulator has announced that it is ready to examine agreements that operators want to conclude. Not every application is now automatically approved. In less densely populated areas the BIPT will say yes more quickly than in a busy city center. It wants to continue monitoring the competition.

The regulator makes it clear that the new decision does not mean that certain collaborations will work better or be banned.

Yes but not always

The BIPT report is an important step towards a more efficient rollout of the fiber optic network, especially in less densely populated areas. It’s clearly a game of not giving a clear answer. At the same time, the telecommunications supervisory authority would like to use the report to make it clear to everyone that it is not necessarily against cooperation between providers in fiber optic expansion.

Guillaume Boutin, CEO of Proximus, is very pleased that BIPT offers an opportunity for collaboration and makes this clear at the X.

It is not clear how Telenet receives the message. Under the name Wyre, the company founded a joint venture with Fluvius to provide fiber to 78 percent of Flanders.

Yesterday the BIPT reported that free choice of router will apply in Belgium from November 1, 2024. Telcos are currently assessing how they can implement this change within 12 months.