Proximus submits ten cases to the Council of State against the planned joint venture between Fluvius and Telenet to build its own fiber optic network.

A national fiber optic network is necessary, but two is too much of a good thing. We read that between the lines of the ten procedures that Proximus submitted to the Council of State. They are directed against the planned cooperation between Fluvius and Telenet. The provider and the energy supplier want to supply the country with their own fiber optic network via a joint venture. For the time being, fiber to the consumer’s doorstep will only be provided by Proximus and its partners, joint ventures or not.

Telenet and Fluvius’ plans date back to July 2022, but it’s difficult to get off the ground. Both sides still have a number of hurdles to clear, including approval from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition. The Belgian competition authority has already given the green light.

illegalities

So now Proximus pulls his sootsack to eat. According to De Tijd, Proximus believes that various illegal activities took place in the run-up to the cooperation. Specifically, the provider assumes that there is a problem with the ten network operators that make up Fluvius. They would have approved the statutes needed to start working with Telenet, but according to Proximus this was done in breach of EU regulations and the Flemish decree on local government.

It is of course an advantage for Proximus if the big competitor Telenet does not immediately have its own fiber optic network. However, the provider does not bring out the big guns. For example, Proximus is not asking for any suspensions or interim measures that would halt the joint venture. This is important because the decision on the procedures will probably not be made until Telenet and Fluvius have actually started work on the network expansion. If all goes well, work could begin this summer.