en.Wedoany.com Reported - Belgian company Telenet issued an official press release in Mechelen on April 30, 2026, announcing that four telecom operators—Proximus, Telenet, Fiberklaar, and Wyre—have officially signed a long-term cooperation agreement to accelerate the construction of gigabit networks in the Flanders region of Belgium. On the same day, the Belgian Competition Authority issued press release No. 17-2026, confirming receipt of the binding cooperation agreement signed by Proximus/Fiberklaar and Telenet/Wyre, and stating that it continues to review the case.
The agreement, based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024, was formally reached after in-depth consultations with the Belgian Competition Authority and the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications, as well as a public consultation. It is currently pending final approval from the regulatory authorities. Upon project implementation, a differentiated network deployment landscape will take shape in the Flanders region: in areas with low to medium population density, Wyre and Fiberklaar will jointly build Fibre-to-the-Home networks, with Proximus and Wyre and their respective wholesale customers having reciprocal access to this infrastructure; the most sparsely populated areas will be based on fiber coverage, supplemented by Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial technology, ensuring gigabit speed supply across the entire territory; in large cities and the most densely populated areas, operators will continue to independently deploy their own networks. The four signatories also committed to opening network access to all operators under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions.
Proximus has set clear targets for its fiber deployment. On March 26, 2026, the company announced a final agreement with EQT Infrastructure, confirming the goal of connecting at least 4.2 million households and businesses to fiber by the end of 2028, covering at least 70% of Belgium. According to the Belgian news agency Belga, the fiber cooperation plan between Proximus and Telenet involves a total investment of at least 2.5 billion euros. The plan was previously delayed due to regulatory scrutiny over its competitive impact, and the agreement signed this time includes adjustments to the deployment timeline and certain clauses. Belgian Telecom Minister Vanessa Matz welcomed the agreement, stating it would bring faster internet services to more households in rural areas.
Fiberklaar is a subsidiary of Proximus focused on fiber network construction. Headquartered in Ghent, it deploys networks targeting small and medium-sized cities, operating under an open network model where multiple internet service providers can offer services on its infrastructure, with the goal of connecting 1.5 million households and businesses by 2028. Wyre was established in July 2023 as a joint venture between Telenet and Fluvius, with Telenet holding a 66.8% stake and Fluvius holding 33.2%. It is responsible for operating the Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial network and Fibre-to-the-Home network in parts of Flanders and Brussels.
Belgium's regulatory framework provides institutional support for this cooperation. The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications is advancing the formulation of relevant technical rules based on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, requiring all new and renovated buildings to be pre-equipped for fiber access starting from February 12, 2026, laying a regulatory foundation for the nationwide gigabit network deployment. The cooperation agreement among the four operators still requires final approval from the Belgian Competition Authority and the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications before it can be formally implemented.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
