The arrival of DIGI on the mobile telecom subscription market in Belgium has ensured that Belgians with relatively limited data usage no longer pay significantly more than consumers in neighbouring countries, according to the annual price comparison by telecom regulator (BIPT).
Every year, BIPT compares the prices of different types of telecom subscriptions with similar offers abroad. For the smallest subscriptions, with an included volume of up to 10 gigabytes, Belgium was still significantly more expensive than neighbouring countries last year.
"A year later, competition in this segment has increased significantly, bringing rates in line with those in neighbouring countries," said the regulator.
Belgium is now in the middle of the pack. "The entry of DIGI has played an important role in this," they added.
Among more expensive countries
DIGI offers mobile subscriptions starting at €3 per month. For profiles with data needs of 30, 50, 70 and 100 gigabytes, the BIPT noted no change compared to last year, while Germany has become significantly more competitive in that segment.
For the real data guzzlers, who consume up to 200 gigabytes per month, Belgium has moved from the more expensive half of countries to the cheaper half.
There is less competition in the fixed telecom products market. Belgium is among the more expensive countries for a separate internet connection.
According to the BIPT report, Belgium is very expensive for gigabit internet. Only Germany is more expensive. The picture is mixed for bundles, but the "heavier" bundles for demanding consumers are considerably more expensive than in neighbouring countries.
