Belgium will get a fourth telecom operator this summer. Digi will initially offer only mobile 5G services but plans to provide fixed Internet and television services later. These services are likely to be competitively priced.
Digi is a joint venture between Belgian Citymesh and Romanian operator Digi Communications. The newly established mobile telecom provider recently opened an office in Brussels.
Citymesh obtained spectrum during the Belgian 5G frequency auction, so the operator is already building its own 5G network. In addition, for the next five years, the new mobile operator will be able to use Proximus’ mast park for its services. After these five years, Digi should have its park of 4,500 masts for its coverage.
Cheap subscriptions
Belgium’s new fourth telecom provider aims to offer cheaper mobile subscriptions and services than its competitors. Specific subscriptions on prepaid plans are not yet known. According to Digi, these will follow at a later stage, but the points of “cheap,” “simple” and “transparent” will be leading. Subscriptions, at least according to the telecom operator, have no snags.
Digi hopes to keep costs down because it often has all the expertise in-house. As a result, it does not have to outsource systems or services to third parties like many other telecom providers. This ultimately gives it more control over costs and network quality.
Fiber optic services on the horizon
According to the telecom provider, services are not limited to mobile services. Citymesh is also rolling out fibre optics in Brussels and other places of interest.
This would initially involve the major Belgian cities and later smaller towns and villages. The telecom provider wants to do this primarily through passive access or by hitching a ride on existing ducts where other operators have also installed their fiber optic cabling. However, this requires a deal with other operators and permission from the Belgian telecom regulator BIPT.
Digi is also considering TV subscriptions to complement its telecom and Internet services package. For this, it can, among other things, use the deals that the new Citymesh subsidiary Edpnet already holds.
From three to four
With Digi, Belgium will soon have four major telecom providers vying for the favours of mobile and fixed customers. The market is currently divided between Proximus, Telenet and Orange. There are also a series of smaller players who, for example MVNOs, also offer mobile and/or fixed services.
It is not yet known when Digi will finally launch in Belgium. It could be as early as the summer or at the end of September this year.
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