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Belgacom has begun to roll out its LTE network using the 1800 MHz frequency band. During the initial phase of deployment, LTE services are available to business customers only. The Belgian operator plans to offer commercial services to consumers once more LTE devices are available on the market. Belgacom has also announced a partnership with Spanish Wi-Fi provider Fon, which will allow the operator to build the largest Wi-Fi community in Belgium.

Belgacom is today taking another step to realize its convergence strategy. Belgacom is rolling out Belgium's first 4G network and is entering into an important partnership with Fon, the largest Wi-Fi community in the world. This will result in an even more high-performance mobile network and, through the collaboration with Fon, Belgacom customers will be able to experience their fixed Internet experience while on the move. These two innovations will allow customers to use their services and applications with even greater ease while on the move.

Now more than ever, convergence is a hot topic. Thanks to the complementarity of its fixed and mobile network, Belgacom has everything it needs to offer true convergence. Belgacom offers its customers packs which combine mobile and fixed telephony, internet and television. To develop new convergent products and services, Belgacom concludes various partnerships such as with manufacturer Samsung or, today, with Spanish company Fon. Belgacom also continuously invests in its fixed and mobile network, giving customers simple, seamless access to their services and applications, both at home and while on the move. Usage of the different networks is thus becoming increasingly mixed up, without the user being aware of it.

Belgacom rolls out first 4G network in Belgium

Belgacom is the first Belgian operator to start rolling out 4G. The fast 3G network will be extended with 4G or LTE technology. This will allow customers to use their mobile data applications with even greater ease on their smartphone, laptop or tablet. A limited group of Belgacom professional customers will start to use 4G as from now. They will be equipped with 4G USB sticks for laptop use. Belgacom will launch a commercial offer as soon as there are enough devices on the market that support 4G and there is sufficient demand from consumers and companies.

4G enables data traffic to be transferred at very high speed, up to 10 times faster than 3G. The downloading of data will be super-fast. It will be possible to stream a video on a smartphone, laptop or tablet immediately, without any download interval. Moreover, 4G will considerably increase the capacity of the mobile network so that the increased use of mobile services and solutions will be absorbed without any problem. Belgacom is using the existing 1.8 GHz frequency band for the 4G roll-out and provides 4G coverage in Hasselt, Mons, Waver and the industrial park of Haasrode.

Partnership with Fon, the largest Wi-Fi community of the world

Belgacom attaches great importance to concluding partnerships. It is important to be open to partners in order to develop new applications and services.
The partnership with Spanish company Fon (www.fon.com) will allow Belgacom this year to build the largest Wi-Fi community in Belgium. That, combined with Belgacom's mobile network, will enable customers to enjoy an optimal Internet experience in Belgium and abroad.

The principle behind the Belgacom Fon Wi-Fi Community is simple: Belgacom customers will open up their fixed Internet connection at home in a secured way to other members of the Fon community via the b-box (wireless modem of Belgacom). We will create 2 separated access point on one single b-box, one private for the customer’s needs and one public for sharing. By doing this, we will build a real users community in Belgium with several hundreds of thousands of users. A simply registration gives Belgacom customers access to this Wi-Fi network en will be able to experience their fixed Internet experience when on the move, in Belgium and abroad. Currently, the Fon Community has more than 4 million members worldwide. Belgacom will offer this service to its internet customers before the end of the year.