Over 500,000 fixed high-speed connections were established using fibre optic technology by the end of 2024, marking a significant milestone for the first time, according to the latest annual report from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) revealed on Wednesday.
A total of 559,000 lines were connected to high-speed internet via fibre optics, enabling speeds of at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps). This growth is largely due to increased coverage, with the percentage of Belgian households having access to fibre optics rising from 25.01% to 32.49% in 2024. This expansion equates to approximately 390,000 additional homes, bringing the total to around 1.68 million. Nearly one-third of Belgians with access to this technology have now adopted it.
Despite the rise in fibre optic connections, BIPT notes that cable remains the leader in fixed high-speed internet installations, commanding a 51.8% market share and connecting nearly 2.7 million households, which is an increase of 26,000 from the previous year. DSL technology, while still utilised by 1.82 million households, saw a decline of more than 125,000 customers over the year.
Connection speeds are also improving, yet the adoption of ultra-high-speed technology (above 1 gigabit per second or Gbps) remains limited. By the end of 2024, only 302,000 households had such connections, reflecting an increase of 48,000 over the year. With only 5.8% of fixed high-speed lines offering speeds of at least 1 Gbps, Belgium’s adoption rate is still below the EU average of 22.25% as of July 2024.
Additionally, BIPT reported that data usage via these connections has surged by 41% since 2020, equating to an average increase of 70 GB per month.
