The Brussels government and mobile telephone operators have reached a draft agreement on developing 5G connectivity in Brussels Region and making the capital the first 5G city in the country, the office of regional Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort announced on Friday. According to Vervoort’s office, Thursday’s draft agreement “lays the foundation that will allow this aim to be achieved based on permanent dialogue and mutual trust between the region and mobile telephone operators.”
The document, which has three parts, deals with issues related to environment and health; economy and employment; smart city and future investments.
On the environmental level, it foresees the adoption of a good practices charter under which operators would make a commitment to use the best available technology, allowing for “sobriety in exposure to electromagnetic fields for maximum coverage”, and “involvement in local participatory democracy through information sessions in the communes that wish to have them”.
According to the Prime Minister’s office, the draft protocol also provides for specific collaboration to be developed between mobile telephone operators, the regional employment agency Actiris, and Brussels Training to increase jobs in Brussels and respond at the same time to the operators’ needs for skills.
Projects can also be developed to roll out Brussels’ potential as a digital, innovating capital. An initial proof-of-concept project will be mounted by the operators to make the first observations on what 5G will be able to offer Brussels.
The signing of the draft agreement launches a joint process to develop a common vision that will be the subject of wide-ranging consultations, including with common citizens, before the 5G technology comes on stream by 2020.
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The Brussels Times
