Proximus Group

Subsequently, private entrepreneurs applied to operate telephone networks in various Belgian cities, leading to the establishment of a legislative framework by the government to regulate telephony.

[7] This growth in the customer base led to a high pace of investment, making RTT a leader in technological and social development by the end of the 1960s.

This Green Paper formed the basis of the Belgian Law of 21 March 1991, which created a new type of government-owned company with greater autonomy.

This consortium consisted of Ameritech (SBC), Tele Danmark, and Singapore Telecom, along with three Belgian financial institutions: Sofina, Dexia, and KBC.

With the complete liberalisation of the telecom market on 1 January 1998, Belgacom acquired Skynet, the first internet access provider in Belgium and one of the largest web portals in the country.

The IPO enabled the Belgian operator to release significant resources to finance its ambitions: offering fixed internet access via broadband or fibre optic (through the Broadway project).

In 2006, Belgacom acquired Telindus, enhancing its range of ICT services and network integration solutions tailored for businesses and professionals.

Belgacom also completed the acquisition of the remaining 25% stake in Proximus from Vodafone and acquired Euremis, a provider of mobile CRM solutions catering to companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and pharmaceutical sectors.

BICS initiated a roaming hub contract with MTN Group, the largest mobile operator in Africa and the Middle East.

During the same year, Belgacom introduced Personal Cloud, enabling customers to securely store their documents with access from various devices including PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or Proximus TV.

The company also pioneered innovative 4G technology deployment in Belgium, starting with roll-outs at the Belgian coast and major cities, including Brussels.

Commercial offerings were revamped with the introduction of new all-inclusive products: Tuttimus for residential customers and Bizz All-in for small businesses.

In December 2016, Proximus announced Fibre for Belgium, a three billion euro investment plan aimed at delivering high-speed internet to residents and businesses.

Proximus extended its partnership with Vodafone for Belgium and Luxembourg, and acquired Davinsi Labs, enhancing its presence in the cybersecurity market.

Proximus successfully completed the acquisition of CODit and secured a commercial Fibre-to-the-Business wholesale deal with telecom operator Destiny.

2018 saw the first successful 5G outdoor trial in Belgium with Huawei, and the launch of the NB-IoT network for connecting digital gas and electricity meters for Fluvius.

This digital identification app enables Belgian citizens to log in and verify their identities with government agencies, banks, insurers, and other private companies.

In 2019, Proximus unveiled the #shifttodigital strategy, aimed at expediting transformation efforts to ensure the company's continued relevance in the Belgian market and safeguard its future.

[12] In September 2019, Proximus announced that Dominique Leroy had decided to leave the company on 1 December due to international career plans.

Together with DPG Media and Rossel, Proximus launched a digital press offering called My e-Press[13] and entered a partnership with construction firm Besix for smart buildings.

Simultaneously, the company announced its intention to significantly accelerate the rollout of the fibre optic network through joint venture agreements with EQT and Eurofiber.

It was deployed in sixteen cities in December 2020: Aalst, Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Knokke-Heist, Leuven, Liège, Mechelen, Namur, Ostend, Sint-Niklaas, Roeselare, and Vilvoorde.

In June 2020, Proximus entered into a strategic partnership with Belfius to establish a neobank - a fully digital internet bank named Banx.

The anti-fraud capabilities of its Score product have been enhanced, resulting in improved fraud detection accuracy and a significant decrease in the occurrence of false positives.

Proximus has forged partnerships with Odoo to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their digitalisation efforts, as well as with Microsoft to collaborate on the development of sovereign cloud solutions.

Proximus has achieved recognition as the first BEL20 company to receive scientific validation for its environmental objectives through the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), aligning with its new 'Net-Zero Standard'.

The teleconsultation app Doktr and AG, a leader in collective health insurance in Belgium, collaborate to promote the accessibility of digital consultations.

This five-year partnership aims to provide a disconnected cloud solution to governments, regulated enterprises, and international organisations in Europe.

The company specialises in fixed and mobile telephony, internet, and television services for individuals and small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.

Information, leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, reveals that the British intelligence agency is behind the cyberattack Operation Socialist which infiltrated the computer network of Belgacom using Regin malware.