Belgium’s Competition Authority has opened a formal investigation into the proposed partnership between Proximus and Orange Belgium to roll out fibre broadband in rural Wallonia, examining whether their memorandum of understanding could limit competition and whether consumers will fairly benefit from any efficiency gains.
Belgium’s Competition Authority (BMA) has launched an ex officio probe into the May memorandum of understanding between Proximus and Orange Belgium, in which the two operators plan to share and coordinate investments to build a fibre network across less densely populated Walloon municipalities. The BMA aims to assess whether this complementary approach—avoiding parallel infrastructure—might curb competition or unfairly advantage the operators at the expense of end users.
Proximus first announced the deal alongside its half-year financial results, highlighting cost savings on multi-billion-euro network investments. It comes after Proximus’s 2024 fibre pact with Wyre, the alliance between Telenet and Fluvius, targeting under-served Flemish areas. However, both partnerships require green lights from the sector regulator BIPT and the Competition Authority.
In its statement, the BMA said it will scrutinise which parties stand to gain and ensure that efficiency benefits and service improvements flow through to households and businesses. Although Proximus and Orange Belgium hope to finalise their agreement in Q4 2025, the investigation’s outcome—and the pending BIPT approval—mean the timeline remains uncertain.
