In Belgium, 5.7% of the population works in the ICT sector, a figure that needs to double to 10% by 2030 to meet European objectives, according to a digitalisation report published on Monday by the Federal Public Service Economy.
Another critical issue is infrastructure, as Belgium has the lowest fibre optic internet coverage in the EU. Only 30.7% of the population can access fibre optic internet, compared to the EU average of 69.2%. Fibre optic connections provide faster and more stable internet, with 2024 figures showing a near 6% increase from the previous year, still not sufficient to lift Belgium from last place in the rankings.
Various operators are developing a fibre optic network in Belgium, with Proximus leading, while Wyre (Telenet/Fluvius) and newcomer DIGI are installing fibre optics in homes. These are costly and labour-intensive projects that require time.
However, the low ranking isn’t too concerning because a fast alternative is available. Fixed internet with very high capacity is accessible to 93.80% of the Belgian population, above the EU average of 82.49%, thanks to an extensive network combining coaxial cable and fibre optics.
For the mobile 5G network, Belgium has caught up rapidly. In 2024, 96.87% of households lived in areas with 5G availability, an increase of more than 56% in one year, which places Belgium above the European average of 94.35%.
