Belgium Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 4 May 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 281

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Belgium’s mobile market benefitting from greater price competition

Belgium’s mobile market is served by the four network operators Proximus, Orange Belgium, Telenet, and Digi Belgium, as well as a small number of MVNOs. Mobile networks have been upgraded to support increased mobile data use among subscribers, with near-comprehensive LTE coverage. Following some delays resulting from concerns over potential radiation, the MNOs have also launched 5G services (Telenet and Orange having done so only in early 2022). The delayed multi-band auction of 5G-suitable spectrum held in June 2022 enabled the licensees (including Digi Belgium, which became the country’s fourth MNO alongside its partner Citymesh) to develop 5G services rapidly using sub-GHz spectrum.

There is effective competition in Belgium between the DSL and cable platforms, while in recent years government support has also encouraged investment in fibre networks. Telenet, supported by its parent Liberty Global, has extended the reach of services based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard, and is also expanding into Wallonia, while Proximus also has extensive fibre/VDSL and FttP deployments and is currently investing in €3 billion 'Fibre for Belgium' program through to 2027. While fibre remains a growing sector, cable is the dominant platform and DSL is slowly eroding as subscribers migrate to fibre as networks are expanded.

This report profiles Belgium’s telecom market, including regulatory measures and the strategies of the main players. It also covers the fixed and wireless broadband markets, providing broadband subscriber forecasts and an assessment of technology deployments and investment plans. In addition, the report assesses Belgian’s mobile voice and data markets, including statistics on the main players, as well as spectrum auction plans, recent developments regarding LTE, and operator strategies for expanding services based on 5G.

Key developments:

Liberty Global secures 100% ownership of Telenet.
Telenet looking to offer a 10Gb/s service across its entire footprint via its Wyre joint venture.
Proximus secures regulatory clearances to acquire a majority stake in Route Mobile.
Telenet expands services offerings to an additional 1.8 million premises in Wallonia via wholesale agreements with Orange Belgium.
New social tariff for a basic internet service comes into force, with the price capped at €19 per month.
Telecom regulator publishes report aimed at encouraging cooperation between operators in deploying FttP networks.
Orange Belgium completes acquisition of a 75% stake in VOO, starts to close down its 3G network.
Digi Belgium putting downward pressure on mobile pricing in Belgium.
Report update includes the regulator's market data updates and 2022 annual report, telcos' financial and operating data to Q1 2024, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Proximus, Orange Belgium, BASE, Telenet, Lycamobile Belgium, Versatel, Interkabel, COLT, Scarlet, Tele2, Digi Belgium, Citymesh

Key statistics
Regional Europe Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Historic overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Government policies
Interconnect
Access
Cable network access
Number Portability (NP)
Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)
Universal Service

Mobile network developments

Spectrum
SIM card registration
Roaming
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

6G
5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM

Internet of Things (IoT)
Mobile data

Short Message Service (SMS)
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

Proximus
Orange Belgium
Telenet (BASE)
Digi Belgium
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Broadband statistics

Wholesale broadband

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks

Telenet
Interkabel
VOO
SFR (Numéricable)

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Networks

Proximus
Versatel/Tele2 Belgium
Orange Belgium
Other DSL developments

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

Government support
Digital Metropolis Antwerp
Proximus
Orange Belgium

Other fixed broadband services

Broadband Powerline (BPL)
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
WLAN/Wi-Fi
WiMAX

Fixed network operators

Introduction
Proximus
COLT Telecom
Orange Belgium
Scarlet (formerly KPN Belgium)
Tele2 Belgium
Telenet

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
Next Generation Network (NGN)
International infrastructure
Cloud services
Smart meters

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Belgium – 2024 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom market investment – 2012 – 2022
Table 3 – Telecom market investment: network and licenses (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 4 – Development of telecom market investment by platform – 2012 – 2022
Table 5 – Telecom investment as a proportion of revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 6 – Development of retail telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 7 – Development of wholesale telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 8 – Total telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 9 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Table 10 – Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2012 – 2021
Table 11 – Change in incoming mobile roaming voice traffic – 2015 – 2022
Table 12 – Development of mobile termination voice revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 13 – Change in the number of annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Table 14 – Development of mobile revenue (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 15 – Mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (residential, MNOs) (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 17 – Market share by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 18 – Change in mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 19 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2022
Table 20 – Average use of service per subscriber per month – 2012 – 2022
Table 21 – Increase in the number of 5G subscribers with data – 2021 – 2022
Table 22 – Increase in the number of LTE subscribers with data – 2013 – 2022
Table 23 – Change in the number of 3G subscribers – 2013 – 2022
Table 24 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2012 – 2022
Table 25 – Development of M2M revenue – 2014 – 2022
Table 26 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2012 – 2023
Table 27 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2022
Table 28 – Growth in mobile data traffic by technology platform (PB) – 2016 – 2022
Table 29 – Average data traffic per subscriber per month – 2013 – 2022
Table 30 – Increase in Proximus’s average mobile data traffic (MB/month/subscriber) – 2016 – 2021
Table 31 – Change in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2022
Table 32 – Decline in average SMS traffic sent per subscriber – 2012 – 2022
Table 33 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 34 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 35 – Development of Proximus’s residential mobile revenue by sector (€ million) – 2013 – 2024
Table 36 – Change in the number of Proximus’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2016 – 2024
Table 37 – Change in the number of Proximus’s residential mobile subscribers by type (excluding M2M) (million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 38 – Proximus annualised residential ARPU by sector (€/subscriber/month) – 2013 – 2024
Table 39 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2014 – 2023
Table 40 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s MVNOs subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Table 41 – Development of Orange Belgium’s mobile services revenue – 2012 – 2023
Table 42 – Orange Belgium’s mobile ARPU (€/subscriber/month) – 2014 – 2022
Table 43 – Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2023
Table 44 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 45 – Change in the number of active MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2022
Table 46 – Development of MVNO revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 47 – Change in MVNO mobile voice traffic and market share – 2012 – 2022
Table 48 – Change in the proportion of fixed broadband connections by platform – 2021 – 2022
Table 49 – Increase in fixed-line broadband traffic – 2018 – 2022
Table 50 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 51 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 52 – Change in the number of broadband subscription net additions per year – 2012 – 2022
Table 53 – Fixed-line broadband penetration by service – 2012 – 2023
Table 54 – Change in the number of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2022
Table 55 – Change in the proportion of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2022
Table 56 – Change in the number of fixed-line wholesale broadband connections by platform – 2020 – 2022
Table 57 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 58 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Table 59 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers by type – 2012 – 2023
Table 60 – Growth in the number of VDSL subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 61 – Growth in the number of FttP/B subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 62 – Change in the number of Proximus’s homes passed with fibre (thousand) – 2020 – 2024
Table 63 – Fixed-line and mobile traffic volume (billion minutes) – 2012 – 2022
Table 64 – Change in fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2012 – 2022
Table 65 – Change in the number of Proximus’s residential access channels (thousand) – 2012 – 2024
Table 66 – Proximus Group financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 67 – Development of Proximus’s revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 68 – Change in Proximus’s revenue by operating division (€ million) – 2012 – 2024
Table 69 – Change in Proximus’s fixed-line residential services revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 70 – Proximus’s monthly residential ARPU by sector (€/month) – 2012 – 2018
Table 71 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data (€ million) – 2013 – 2023
Table 72 – Change in Orange Belgium’s service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 73 – Development of Orange Belgium’s retail service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 74 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium subscribers by sector (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 75 – Development of Telenet’s financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 76 – Telenet revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 77 – Change in the number of Telenet’s subscribers by sector (million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 78 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 79 – Change in the number of fixed lines by type (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 80 – Historic - Telecom market investment: fixed and mobile by sector (€ million) – 2006 – 2010; 2014 – 2016
Table 81 – Historic – Broadband fixed-line subscribers by technology (thousand) – 2000 – 2011
Table 82 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1995 – 2011
Table 83 – Historic - Broadband subscription net additions per year – 2005 – 2011
Table 84 – Historic - Telenet broadband subscribers – 2006 – 2011
Table 85 – Historic - Mobile voice traffic – 2005 – 2011
Table 86 – Historic - Fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2005 – 2011
Table 87 – Historic - Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2009 – 2011
Table 88 – Historic - Market share by operator – 2009 – 2011
Table 89 – Historic - Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2009 – 2011
Table 90 – Historic - Change in SMS traffic – 2009 – 2011
Table 91 – Historic - Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology (thousand) – 2008 – 2011
Table 92 – Historic - Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2007 – 2011
Table 93 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband penetration by service – 2007 – 2011
Table 94 – Historic - Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 95 – Historic - Proximus Group financial data (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 96 – Historic - Proximus revenue by sector (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 97 – Historic - Proximus revenue by operating division (€ million) – 2007 – 2011
Table 98 – Historic - Development of Telenet’s financial data (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 99 – Historic - Telenet revenue by sector (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 100 – Historic - Telenet subscribers by sector (million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 101 – Historic - Residential broadband revenue – 2014 – 2018
Table 102 – Historic - Residential broadband ARPU – 2013 – 2018
Table 103 – Historic - Fixed voice telephony revenue – 2012 – 2018

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Europe - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Europe – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Scandinavia/Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Development of telecom market investment – 2012 – 2022
Chart 11 – Telecom market investment: network and licenses – 2012 – 2022
Chart 12 – Development of telecom market investment by platform – 2012 – 2022
Chart 13 – Development of retail telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 14 – Development of wholesale telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 15 – Total telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 16 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Chart 17 – Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2012 – 2021
Chart 18 – Change in mobile roaming voice traffic – 2015 – 2022
Chart 19 – Development of mobile termination voice revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 20 – Change in the number of annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Chart 21 – Development of mobile revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 22 – Mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (residential, MNOs) – 2012 – 2021
Chart 23 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 24 – Market share by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 25 – Change in mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 26 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2022
Chart 27 – Increase in the number of LTE subscribers with data – 2013 – 2022
Chart 28 – Change in the number of 3G subscribers – 2013 – 2022
Chart 29 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2012 – 2022
Chart 30 – Development of M2M revenue – 2014 – 2022
Chart 31 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2012 – 2023
Chart 32 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2022
Chart 33 – Growth in mobile data traffic by technology platform – 2016 – 2022
Chart 34 – Average data traffic per subscribers per month – 2013 – 2022
Chart 35 – Change in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2022
Chart 36 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2022
Chart 37 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 38 – Development of Proximus’s residential mobile revenue by sector – 2013 – 2024
Chart 39 – Change in the number of Proximus’s mobile subscribers – 2016 – 2024
Chart 40 – Change in the number of Proximus’s residential mobile subscribers by type (excluding M2M) – 2012 – 2024
Chart 41 – Proximus’s annualised residential ARPU by sector – 2013 – 2024
Chart 42 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s mobile subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Chart 43 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s MVNOs subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Chart 44 – Development of Orange Belgium’s mobile services revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 45 – Change in Orange Belgium’s mobile ARPO – 2017 – 2022
Chart 46 – Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 47 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 48 – Change in the number of active MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2022
Chart 49 – Development of MVNO revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 50 – Change in MVNO mobile voice traffic and market share – 2012 – 2022
Chart 51 – Increase in fixed-line broadband traffic – 2018 – 2022
Chart 52 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2022
Chart 53 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 54 – Change in the number of broadband subscription net additions per year – 2012 – 2022
Chart 55 – Change in the number of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2022
Chart 56 – Change in the proportion of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2022
Chart 57 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 58 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2024
Chart 59 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 60 – Growth in the number of VDSL subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 61 – Growth in the number of FttP/B subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 62 – Change in the number of Proximus’s homes passed with fibre – 2020 – 2024
Chart 63 – Fixed-line and mobile traffic volume – 2012 – 2022
Chart 64 – Change in fixed-line traffic by type – 2014 – 2022
Chart 65 – Change in the number of Proximus’s residential access channels – 2012 – 2024
Chart 66 – Proximus Group financial data – 2012 – 2024
Chart 67 – Development of Proximus’s revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2024
Chart 68 – Change in Proximus’s revenue by operating division (€ million) – 2012 – 2024
Chart 69 – Change in Proximus’s fixed-line residential services revenue by sector – 2012 – 2020
Chart 70 – Proximus’s monthly residential ARPU by sector – 2012 – 2018
Chart 71 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data – 2013 – 2023
Chart 72 – Change in Orange Belgium’s service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 73 – Development of Orange Belgium’s retail service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 74 – Development of Telenet’s financial data – 2012 – 2023
Chart 75 – Telenet revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 76 – Change in the number of Telenet’s subscribers by sector (million) – 2012 – 2023
Chart 77 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 78 – Change in the number of fixed lines by type (million) – 2012 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Europe
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Europe – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Europe – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Europe – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – 800MHz auction results – 2013
Exhibit 7 – 2.6GHz auction results – 2011
Exhibit 8 – Spectrum assignment overview
Exhibit 9 – Key considerations for government and regulators in relation to 5G
Exhibit 10 – Proximus’s spectrum holdings – 2024
Exhibit 11 – WiMAX spectrum licenses – 2001 – 2005

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Belgium Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Belgium’s mobile market benefitting from greater price competition

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Europe Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views