From 2027, Belgian telecom companies will be required to offer internet subscriptions with minimum speeds of 30 Mbit/s. The legally mandated minimum today is still 1 Mbit/s. Malta is the only other EU country that mandates a 30 Mbit/s minimum. More countries will follow.
Telecom Minister Petra De Sutter says a 1 Mbit/s connection is highly outdated and therefore wants to permanently raise that speed. Next year, all telecom companies must be able to offer at least 10 Mbit/s. In 2027, that must be at least 30 Mbit/s. While not yet ideal, with an internet speed up to thirty times faster everyone can make better use of the internet. The decision making this speed mandatory will be approved by the federal Council of Ministers on Friday.
At present, 38,000 Belgian households do not have access to internet speeds of 30 Mbit/s or higher and would therefore benefit from this decision. These are primarily households in Wallonia, with 31,000 households below 30 Mbit/s. Providers are investing in these areas and there are multiple support programs to deliver higher speeds there, the regulator BIPT notes.