Proximus launches "Fiber for Vilvoorde"
- In December 2016, Proximus announced an investment of 3 billion euro over the next 10 years to accelerate the roll-out of fiber in Belgium. Proximus will reach most businesses and city centers in Belgium with fiber.
- The past two years, Proximus has started rolling out fiber in no fewer than nine cities, and this year another seven will be added, including Vilvoorde.
- Today, Proximus and the City of Vilvoorde are presenting the "Fiber for Vilvoorde" project.
- The roll-out in the city center will begin in a few weeks, and the first connections will be possible later this year. To limit the nuisance, the works are being carried out in consultation with the City Council.
- Fiber is the fixed network of the future: thanks to unprecedented speeds, with equal upload and download times, fiber is an enabler for new ways of living and working, resulting in very high customer satisfaction.
In the coming years, the City of Vilvoorde will be gradually served by fiber, and many businesses and households in Vilvoorde will have access to the fixed network of the future. Today, the City of Vilvoorde already has six industrial zones equipped with fiber. With the launch of the "Fiber for Vilvoorde" project, Proximus is the first Belgian operator to bring fiber into existing homes.
Proximus brings fiber into your living room and office
Why is fiber necessary? In the coming years, data traffic and digital services will continue to grow exponentially, mainly driven by video and cloud applications and the Internet of Things. As a pioneer in network technologies, Proximus wants to anticipate the needs of its customers and prepare its infrastructure for the future.
That’s why Proximus, a pioneer in fiber for many years, launched a "Fiber for Belgium" investment plan in 2016 to roll out fiber in the majority of businesses and city centers in Belgium.
Fiber is the ultimate broadband network of the future for residential and business customers alike. With optical fiber, all members of a household can browse the Internet, watch streamed content, and engage in online gaming at the same time, with no latency or loss in quality. They also benefit from the sharpest of images on all their screens. Moreover, fiber is the ideal solution for business customers: besides enabling more efficient collaboration, fiber offers greater reliability and better data protection.
From a financial and operational perspective, it is wise to combine the deployment of fiber for businesses with the roll-out into existing homes in urban areas with a high population density. And that is exactly what Proximus will do in Vilvoorde: roll out fiber for residential and business customers simultaneously.
Fiber technology will allow our customers to fully exploit the possibilities of the digital era and will boost download and upload speeds in Belgium to an unprecedented level. Towards the end of the year, residents in Vilvoorde's city center will discover for themselves how fiber offers the ultimate broadband experience for surfing, streaming, gaming and working at the speed of light. We will give everyone the opportunity to connect to fiber for free, even if they are not yet Proximus customers.
A new phase in the digital revolution in Vilvoorde
The roll-out of fiber will offer Vilvoorde residents and businesses a major asset: access to the most advanced digital services, which will benefit growth and employment in the city and region. This fixed network of the future also opens up a world of opportunities for the further digitalization of the City of Vilvoorde. The roll-out of fiber and the connection of thousands of sensors and devices will improve mobility, public safety and air quality in Vilvoorde. In the future, the fiber network will become an essential part of every city’s infrastructure, just like water or electricity.
As for the timing, the roll-out will take place in various phases, always in consultation with the city.
To date, fiber has already been deployed in six industrial zones in Vilvoorde. Proximus is proactively contacting businesses individually to see which fiber solution best meets their specific needs.
A fiber connection is already possible or has been planned in 800 new-builds (large new-build projects and developments).
Impact of the works
The impact of the works will be kept to a minimum. Before the works start, Proximus will carry out an analysis to optimize the roll-out and will opt as much as possible for wall mounting instead of an underground installation, especially in built-up areas. This way, only a limited number of streets and pavements need to be dug up, and the roll-out will go much faster.
Large-scale information campaign for residents
Proximus will communicate openly and transparently with all residents and businesses in the areas where fiber will be deployed. Local residents will be extensively informed of the roll-out and advantages of fiber through a communication plan tailored to them, including a dedicated 0800 phone number, information in the shops, and local info sessions.
