Proximus continues to roll out fiber in southwest Flanders: ‘Get 65,000 homes with fiber connections by 2024’ | Harelbeke

Fiber connections are provided by optical fibers. “Fiber connectivity, along with 5G, is in any case the future of internet connectivity,” said Proximus Chief Technology Officer, Gert Standart. “In some families, about 30 devices are already connected to the Internet. This will only increase and sooner or later you will reach the limits. This is not the case with Fiber and there is a super-fast connection. With fiber the whole family can (remotely) work, browse, stream videos, play games Games online at the same time without delays or quality loss. Fiber will also be necessary for companies to take full advantage of all the possibilities of digitization.”

“Today, Proximus is already present with fiber technology on almost every street corner. The challenge is to supply the last few meters with fiber into a home or business.” In 2016, Proximus announced the “Fiber for Belgium” investment plan. in 2019 Kortrijk’s fiber roll-out has begun. Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 homes and businesses have already been connected to the fiber network. This offering is now being expanded to Waregem, Ypres, Menen, Harelbeke, Izegem and Wevelgem. Construction work on Harelbeke and preparatory work on Waregem have started recently. Work will also start on Menin and Ypres before the end of the year. The first contacts at Ypres and Wevelgem will follow in 2023.

Over the next two years, more than 65,000 homes and businesses in southwest Flanders will be fitted with a fiber link. “By 2028 we want coverage to be more than 80 percent,” says Gert Standart. “Our ultimate ambition is to target 100 percent coverage across the country. Remote areas will also be reached.”