Proximus launches "Fiber for Knokke-Heist"
- In December 2016, Proximus announced the "Fiber for Belgium" program, an investment of 3 billion euro over 10 years to speed up the roll-out of optical fiber and so reach the majority of businesses and city centers in Belgium.
- Since then Proximus has already started rolling out fiber in 11 cities and now it's the turn of Knokke-Heist as the first coastal municipality to receive it. Here, Proximus presented the project "Fiber for Knokke-Heist".
- The fiber roll-out will start in the city center in a few weeks. To limit disruption, 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, Knokke-Heist will be gradually served by fiber, and a large number of businesses and households will get access to the fixed network of the future. Today, the business park 't Walletje is already equipped with fiber and 200 businesses are already connectable to Proximus fiber. With the "Fiber for Knokke-Heist" project, Proximus is the first operator to bring fiber not only into new developments but also into existing homes. Proximus' ambition is to roll out fiber to more than 30,000 homes and businesses in Knokke-Heist by 2023.
Proximus brings fiber into homes and businesses
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 the "Fiber for Belgium" investment plan in 2016 to roll out fiber to 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 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: aside from more efficient collaboration, fiber offers greater reliability.
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 Knokke-Heist: 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. In the coming months, residents living in the Knokke-Heist city center will be able to discover for themselves that 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, even those who are not yet Proximus customers.
A new phase in the digital revolution in Knokke-Heist
The roll-out of fiber will offer Knokke-Heist 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 Knokke-Heist as a "smart city". The roll-out of fiber and the connection of sensors and devices will improve mobility, public safety and air quality in Knokke-Heist. In the future, fiber networks will become an essential part of every city’s infrastructure, just like water or electricity.
Timing of the works
With an eye to equipping Knokke-Heist with fiber, Proximus has divided the city into several zones. The roll-out will take place in a number of phases, always in consultation with the city council.
- In 2019 Proximus started with the dimensioning of the supply network.
- In 2019-2020 it will be the turn of Lippenslaan and two other zones (Heist + part of Knokke).
- The aim is to make up to 30,000 homes and businesses in Knokke-Heist connectable by 2023, including about 2,000 new-build homes in 64 new 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 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.
A large-scale information campaign
Proximus will communicate openly and transparently with all residents and businesses in the areas where fiber will be deployed. Proximus is proactively contacting each business individually to see which fiber solution best fits its specific needs. Local residents will be extensively informed of the roll-out and advantages of fiber through a communication plan tailored to them, including an 0800 number, information in the shops, and local info sessions. The commercial advantages will also be communicated in detail.
