5G Frequency Spectrum in Belgium

In July, 2020, the Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) granted a temporary license to five major telecom operators to start 5G Development in the 3600-3800 MHz (n78) band. The five operators were Cegeka, Entropia, Orange, Proximus and Telenet.

Proximus was the first telco to launch 5G services in Belgium. They started offering 5G services at the end of 2020. They are using the 2.1 GHz band and have a temporary permit to use radio frequencies in the 3.6 - 3.8 GHz band.

Telenet started deployment of 5G networks in the country in December 2021 using the 3.6 - 3.8 GHz band.

The 5G auction that was meant to take place in 2021 has now been delayed to June 2022. In this auction, BIPT is inviting interested operators to submit their candidacies for participation in the auction allocating spectrum in the radio frequency bands of 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.4 GHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and the 3.6 GHz. 

The following 5G frequency bands have been allocated in Belgium.