Wyre, Telenet, Proximus and Fiberklaar sign Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate fibre deployment

Wyre and Proximus, together with Telenet and Fiberklaar, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a potential future collaboration on the further deployment of fibre networks in Flanders.

The collaboration would ensure that more consumers benefit from high-speed gigabit networks, leading to a broader and faster fibre deployment while reducing civil works.

High-speed gigabit networks, including fibre, are crucial to stimulate innovation, strengthen our economy and allow citizens to keep up with the ever-evolving digitalization. Today, Europe is investing massively in cutting-edge network technology and both citizens and businesses in our region should also be able to benefit from this development.

The intended collaboration would cover approximately 2.7 million homes across zones with intermediate to low population density. The realization of the collaboration is dependent on the parties reaching a final agreement, obtaining regulatory and antitrust approvals and subject to no adverse regulatory findings or impacts.

In 'medium-dense' areas, complementary fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks would be built by Wyre and Fiberklaar for approximately 2.0 million homes (of which 60% by Wyre and 40% by Fiberklaar), with reciprocal wholesale access to this infrastructure for Proximus and Telenet, respectively.

This should result in a more efficient roll-out, broader and faster access to fiber and reduced construction works. In the most sparsely populated zones, Proximus would start offering services using the Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) network of Wyre for approximately 0.7 million homes, which would allow to offer gigabit speeds throughout Flanders. In large cities and dense parts of the territory, operators will continue to roll out their own networks separately.

The signing of the MoU is the result of constructive discussions over the past months following the BIPT's and BCA's announcements in October 2023 that they were willing to consider possible collaborations between operators. In line with those announcements, the parties have identified the key terms for a possible collaboration. The parties are engaging with the BIPT and BCA and will fully cooperate with the authorities during their investigations.

No further details will be communicated until the cooperation agreement is formally signed, which is expected to happen at the earliest in the fourth quarter.

Read more.