Benefits for Belgium

As part of our commitment to a sustainable society, we apply circular principles to our network equipment and deploy more energy-efficient networks.

We are continuously testing and implementing intelligent features on our networks to power down some temporarily unused frequencies to reduce the energy consumption.

Outphasing our copper network also means that we use this valuable resource less for our network. The copper we are able to recover is sold for reuse. In 2022, we managed to recover a total of 630 tons of copper cable.

The fiber we use can be entirely produced in Europe and consists of glass made from silicon dioxide, the most abundant element on Earth after oxygen. This resource is found in sand, clay, rocks and even water.

The fiber rollout also frees up space in our street cabinets. It allows us to convert them into charging points for electric vehicles. After a successful pilot in Mechelen, we continued the project in Oudenaarde in 2022 and we are investigating further opportunities.

Proximus shares its 5G mobile network with Orange Belgium, which will reduce the number of base stations by 35%. Redundant equipment is recycled or resold for a second life. The 5G technology improves the efficiency of mobile data transmission: less energy is required for the same amount of data. When traffic is low, 5G networks use little power, further reducing the power consumption of the antennas.

Being connected is an integral part of our daily lives. At home, at work, and on the go. Along with our increasing connectivity needs, data traffic will continue to expand. Video, cloud applications, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will ask a lot from our networks. And we are rising to the challenge.

We have committed significant investment to improving connectivity in rural zones and so-called white zones, places where there is a lack of a fast internet connection. Even though Belgium is one of the best countries in the world for broadband coverage, around 7% of homes do not benefit from a high-performance internet connection (> 30 Mbit/s). These locations are mostly in rural areas in Wallonia, where the deployment of optical fiber is expensive and not economically viable. Instead, we are using new technologies, such as fiber optic aerial, optical node connected via radio link, and 4G Modem to reach these homes and connect the whole country.

With almost half of Belgium’s active population working from home during the corona pandemic in 2020 and much 2021, the need for a reliable and fast, fixed network is clear. Digital collaboration and virtual communication have become more important than ever, reinforcing the importance of investing in fiber as the fixed network technology of the future. Our investment in the rollout of fiber and 5G mobile services will support businesses as they improve their efficiency and achieve their future ambitions.

Proximus supports the use of digital tools and digital re-skilling of people of all ages across Belgium. This ranges from the youngest members of society using videoconferencing from Bednet and ClassContact for online education for children living with long-term illnesses, to Diggit where children share their digital knowledge with seniors in a playful way.

For Belgian citizens of working age, we help less-privileged job seekers to build careers in the new digital world, offer ICT training courses, give free coding lessons, and more.