Main information
- Orange Belgium and Proximus will collaborate to provide high speed Internet access to 1.4 million households and businesses in Wallonia.
- The partnership is based on the existing infrastructure, including the HFC network of Orange Belgium and the FTTH deployments of Proximus.
- This initiative aims to rationalize construction efforts, accelerate deployment and minimize disturbances for residents.
Orange Belgium and Proximus have concluded a strategic alliance in order to accelerate the deployment of optical fiber in Wallonia. The objective of this collaboration is to provide around 1.4 million households and companies with ultra-fast Internet access to the Internet. Emphasis is placed on medium or low population density areas.
Expansion of access to optical fiber
In urban centers with high population density, the two companies will continue their independent network of the network. In areas with average population density, Unifiber, the joint venture of Proximus and Orange, will extend Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connectivity to 600,000 households and businesses. Orange Belgium customers will be gradually integrated.
For less densely populated regions, the two companies will jointly develop FTTH networks, providing access to around 200,000 homes and businesses. This partnership allows Proximus to access the Orange Belgium fiber optical infrastructure. At the same time, Orange Belgium will have access to the Proximus network assets.
In low -populated regions, Proximus will rely on the Orange Belgian Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) network to provide Gigabit speeds to around 600,000 households. The overall initiative should cover around 70 percent of Wallonia residences.
Network infrastructure as lever
Xavier Pichon, CEO of Orange Belgium, stressed the importance of leadership in network infrastructure as part of the “Lead The Future” strategy. He highlighted Gigabit access to the national level via their HFC network. He was also enthusiastic about the agreement concluded with Proximus, which will extend Gigabit in Wallonia connectivity. At the same time, this collaboration guarantees a responsible and optimized FTTH deployment, with a minimum of interruptions.
Jan Van Aceleyen, CEO ad interim from the proximus group, echoed this feeling, stressing the role of the collaboration of operators in the acceleration of digitization in Belgium. He highlighted the mutual benefits for citizens, businesses and operators, declaring that the memorandum of understanding aligns with the spirit of cooperation envisaged in Flanders.
Acceleration and efficiency of deployment
This common approach should make it possible to rationalize construction efforts and accelerate deployment. Nuisances for residents will be reduced to a minimum and coordination with local authorities will be facilitated. In addition, this cooperation will allow better cost control. However, the regulatory approval of the Belgian Competition and IBPT Authority (Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications) is necessary before implementation. (em)
If you want to access all the articles, subscribe here!
