After the BIPT gave the green light, Proximus is in talks with other telecom operators to jointly tackle the expensive process of fiber optic connections.

After the BIPT paved the way for joint investments in fiber optic networks between telecom operators, Proximus CEO Guillaume Boutin announced on Friday that discussions with other network operators were underway. Fiber optic expansion is an intensive and very expensive process and can be made more efficient through collaboration. According to Bouten, this would also prevent overcapacity. The BIPT has set a deadline of mid-May for a concrete proposal.

Increase efficiency

Fiber optic expansion is very expensive. Until the end of last year, responsibility for construction lay with each telecommunications operator. In order to limit the number of excavations and reduce the cost of installing fiber optic networks, the BIPT decided at the end of last year that telecom operators can continue to cooperate.

Proximus is taking the leading role and says it is holding discussions with all telecommunications operators operating on the market. This mainly affects Wyre and Orange Belgium.

time pressure

BIPT has set a tight deadline of mid-May for the submission of detailed proposals, although this is not a strict deadline. According to Boutin, collaboration can prevent overcapacity. “The challenge is to achieve collaboration that benefits society while making economic sense for the industry,” says Boutin. By 2023, Proximus will have installed around 379,000 active fiber optic lines for both private and business customers.