Belgium Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: April 2024

Report Pages: 257

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Belgium’s MNOs launch delayed 5G services

Belgium’s mobile market is served by the three network operators Proximus, Orange Belgium and BASE, and by a good number of MVNOs. Mobile networks have been upgraded to support growing 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 is scheduled for later in 2022, while the onerous restrictions on radiation parameters have in part been lifted.

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, while Proximus also has extensive fibre/VDSL and FttP deployments and is currently investing in €3 billion 'Fibre for Belgium' program through to 2027.

Orange Belgium has been able to expand its bundled offering nationally following the acquisition of VOO in late 2021. This extended Orange’s reach deeper into Walloon and areas of Brussels.

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 deploying services based on 5G.

Key developments:

Orange Group acquires VOO, launches a 1Gb/s service in several municipalities;
Proximus acquires the MNVO Mobile Vikings, begins phasing out VDSL services;
Delayed 5G spectrum auction is completed, with two new entrants securing concessions;
Telenet sells its mobile towers infrastructure €745 million;
Orange Belgium launches 5G services;
Report update includes the regulator's market data updates and 2021 annual report, telcos' financial and operating data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Proximus (Belgacom), Orange Belgium (Mobistar), BASE, Telenet, Lycamobile Belgium, Versatel, Interkabel, COLT, Scarlet, Tele2

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)

Mobile network developments

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

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

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 (Mobistar)
Telenet (BASE)
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Fixed-line broadband market

Market analysis
Broadband statistics
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

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 – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom market investment – 2012 – 2021
Table 3 – Telecom market investment: network and licenses (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 4 – Telecom investment as a proportion of revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 5 – Development of retail telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 6 – Development of wholesale telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 7 – Total telecom revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 8 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2012 – 2021
Table 9 – Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Change in mobile roaming voice traffic – 2015 – 2021
Table 11 – Development of mobile termination voice revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 12 – Change in the number of annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Development of mobile revenue (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 14 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 15 – Market share by operator – 2012 – 2019
Table 16 – Change in mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 17 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 18 – Average use of service per subscriber per month – 2012 – 2021
Table 19 – Mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (residential, MNOs) (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 20 – LTE subscribers with data – 2013 – 2021
Table 21 – 3G subscribers with data – 2013 – 2020
Table 22 – M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Table 23 – M2M revenue – 2014 – 2021
Table 24 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Table 25 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 26 – Average data traffic per subscribers per month – 2013 – 2021
Table 27 – Increase in Proximus’s average mobile data traffic (MB/month/subscriber) – 2016 – 2021
Table 28 – Change in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 29 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 30 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 31 – Development of Proximus’s mobile revenue by sector (CBU) (€ million) – 2013 – 2022
Table 32 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 33 – Proximus CBU mobile subscribers by type (excluding M2M) (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 34 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector (€ / user / month) – 2013 – 2022
Table 35 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 36 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s MVNOs subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 37 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data (€ million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 38 – Development of Orange Belgium’s mobile services revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 39 – Orange Belgium annualised ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 40 – Change in Orange Belgium’s mobile ARPO (€/month) – 2017 – 2021
Table 41 – Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 42 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s mobile subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 43 – MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2021
Table 44 – MVNO revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 45 – MVNO mobile voice traffic and market share – 2012 – 2021
Table 46 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 47 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 48 – Change in the number of broadband subscription net additions per year – 2012 – 2021
Table 49 – Residential broadband revenue – 2014 – 2018
Table 50 – Residential broadband ARPU – 2013 – 2018
Table 51 – Fixed-line broadband penetration by service – 2012 – 2021
Table 52 – Change in the proportion of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2021
Table 53 – Change in the number of fixed-broadband lines by speed (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 54 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 55 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 56 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers by type – 2012 – 2021
Table 57 – Growth in the number of VDSL subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 58 – Growth in the number of FttP/B subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 59 – Fixed voice telephony revenue – 2012 – 2018
Table 60 – Fixed-line and mobile traffic volume (billion minutes) – 2012 – 2021
Table 61 – Fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2012 – 2021
Table 62 – Change in the number of Proximus’s access channels (CBU) (thousand) – 2012 – 2022
Table 63 – Proximus Group financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 64 – Proximus revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 65 – Proximus revenue by operating division (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 66 – Proximus fixed-line services revenue by sector (CBU) (€ million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 67 – Proximus monthly ARPU by sector (CBU) (€ / month) – 2012 – 2018
Table 68 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data (€ million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 69 – Orange Belgium service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 70 – Orange Belgium retail service revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 71 – Orange Belgium subscribers by sector (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 72 – Development of Telenet’s financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 73 – Telenet revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 74 – Telenet subscribers by sector (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 75 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 76 – Fixed lines by type (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 77 – Historic - Telecom market investment: fixed and mobile by sector (€ million) – 2006 – 2010; 2014 – 2016
Table 78 – Historic – Broadband fixed-line subscribers by technology (thousand) – 2000 – 2011
Table 79 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1995 – 2011
Table 80 – Historic - Broadband subscription net additions per year – 2005 – 2011
Table 81 – Historic - Telenet broadband subscribers – 2006 – 2011
Table 82 – Historic - Mobile voice traffic – 2005 – 2011
Table 83 – Historic - Fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2005 – 2011
Table 84 – Historic - Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2009 – 2011
Table 85 – Historic - Market share by operator – 2009 – 2011
Table 86 – Historic - Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2009 – 2011
Table 87 – Historic - Change in SMS traffic – 2009 – 2011
Table 88 – Historic - Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology (thousand) – 2008 – 2011
Table 89 – Historic - Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2007 – 2011
Table 90 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband penetration by service – 2007 – 2011
Table 91 – Historic - Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 92 – Historic - Proximus Group financial data (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 93 – Historic - Proximus revenue by sector (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 94 – Historic - Proximus revenue by operating division (€ million) – 2007 – 2011
Table 95 – Historic - Development of Telenet’s financial data (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 96 – Historic - Telenet revenue by sector (€ million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 97 – Historic - Telenet subscribers by sector (million) – 2009 – 2011

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 – 2021
Chart 11 – Telecom market investment: network and licenses – 2012 – 2021
Chart 12 – Development of retail telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 13 – Development of wholesale telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 14 – Total telecom revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 15 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2012 – 2021
Chart 16 – Carrier preselect numbers and annual change – 2012 – 2021
Chart 17 – Change in mobile roaming voice traffic – 2015 – 2021
Chart 18 – Development of mobile termination voice revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 19 – Change in the number of annual mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2021
Chart 20 – Development of mobile revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 21 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 22 – Market share by operator – 2012 – 2019
Chart 23 – Change in mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Chart 24 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 25 – Mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (residential, MNOs) – 2012 – 2021
Chart 26 – LTE subscribers with data – 2013 – 2021
Chart 27 – 3G subscribers with data – 2013 – 2020
Chart 28 – M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Chart 29 – M2M revenue – 2014 – 2021
Chart 30 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Chart 31 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 32 – Average data traffic per subscribers per month – 2013 – 2021
Chart 33 – Change in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 34 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2021
Chart 35 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 36 – Development of Proximus’s mobile revenue by sector (CBU) – 2013 – 2022
Chart 37 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 38 – Proximus CBU mobile subscribers by type (excluding M2M) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 39 – Proximus annualised ARPU (CBU) by sector – 2013 – 2022
Chart 40 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 41 – Change in the number of Orange Belgium’s MVNOs subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Chart 42 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data – 2013 – 2021
Chart 43 – Development of Orange Belgium’s mobile services revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 44 – Change in Orange Belgium’s mobile ARPO – 2017 – 2021
Chart 45 – Development of Telenet’s mobile revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 46 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 47 – MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2021
Chart 48 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology – 2012 – 2021
Chart 49 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 50 – Change in the number of broadband subscription net additions per year – 2012 – 2021
Chart 51 – Change in the proportion of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 52 – Change in the number of fixed-broadband lines by speed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 53 – Growth in the number of Telenet’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 54 – Growth in the number of Proximus’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 55 – Growth in the number of Orange Belgium’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 56 – Growth in the number of VDSL subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 57 – Growth in the number of FttP/B subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 58 – Fixed voice telephony revenue – 2012 – 2018
Chart 59 – Fixed-line and mobile traffic volume – 2012 – 2021
Chart 60 – Fixed-line traffic by type – 2012 – 2021
Chart 61 – Change in the number of Proximus’s access channels (CBU) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 62 – Proximus Group financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 63 – Proximus revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 64 – Proximus revenue by operating division – 2012 – 2022
Chart 65 – Proximus fixed-line services revenue by sector (CBU) – 2012 – 2020
Chart 66 – Proximus monthly ARPU by sector (CBU) – 2012 – 2018
Chart 67 – Development of Orange Belgium’s financial data – 2013 – 2021
Chart 68 – Orange Belgium service revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 69 – Orange Belgium retail service revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 70 – Development of Telenet’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 71 – Telenet revenue by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 72 – Telenet subscribers by sector – 2012 – 2022
Chart 73 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 74 – Fixed lines by type – 2012 – 2021

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 global developments towards 5G standardisation
Exhibit 10 – 5G spectrum, speed, and devices
Exhibit 11 – Key considerations for government and regulators in relation to 5G
Exhibit 12 – Main DSL service providers
Exhibit 13 – 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 MNOs launch delayed 5G services

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