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Digital Divide Country Profile · Europe

BE

Belgium

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

Location in the world

Belgium

Flag of Belgium

Europe

World map showing the location of BelgiumBelgium
🇧🇪
Population (2024)
11,858,610
Total area
30,528 km²
Area in square miles
11,786.92 mi²
Coastline
66.5 km
Base map adapted from Wikimedia Commons. Population: World Bank (2024); geography: CIA World Factbook.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Belgium in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure, Infrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding, Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure, Fiber/Fiber Optic, FTTH. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

  1. Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure5
  2. Infrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding1
  3. Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure1
  4. Last-mile broadband network1
  5. None1

Specific technologies

  1. Fiber/Fiber Optic5
  2. FTTH5
  3. Banking apps1
  4. Computer / Desktop PC1
  5. Gigabit broadband1

Intervention classification

  1. Neither explicitly identified7
  2. Infrastructure and Specific Technology6
  3. Broadband network expansion1
  4. Digital Skills + Digital Financial Inclusion1
  5. Infrastructure only1

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

5 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 1 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

17 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

01

Free public connectivity and support

Brussels Digital Public Spaces and wifi.brussels access network

Ongoing · Brussels-Capital Region
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Status / periodOngoingLocationBrussels-Capital RegionPopulationResidents lacking home access or digital supportOrganizationsBrussels-Capital Region; local digital public spaces

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Public computers; free Internet; training; city Wi-Fi

Last-Mile / Access InfrastructureWi-FiComputer / Desktop PC
Education
02

Assisted digital access

Digibanken assisted access to essential online services

Ongoing · Flanders and Brussels
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Status / periodOngoingLocationFlanders and BrusselsPopulationCitizens needing help with e-government and essential servicesOrganizationsDigibanken; local partners

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Digihelper support; Tax-on-web; benefits; transport and health tasks

03

Digital skills

Digibanken digital-skills training service

Ongoing · Flanders and Brussels
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Status / periodOngoingLocationFlanders and BrusselsPopulationDigitally vulnerable adults and job seekersOrganizationsDigibanken; local partners

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Basic digital training; workshops; guided practice

EducationWorkforce
04

Device access

Digibanken hardware-access service

Ongoing · Flanders and Brussels
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Status / periodOngoingLocationFlanders and BrusselsPopulationPeople lacking suitable digital devicesOrganizationsDigibanken; local partners

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Laptop/device lending; repair; reuse

Laptop
05

Digital skills; financial inclusion; older-adult digital inclusion; online safety

Digital Banking for Everyone Tour – Paradigm & Febelfin

Active; tour launched March 2026 with an August 20, 2026 Brussels session · Pav’Ion, Parc du Cinquantenaire, City of Brussels; tour-based regional delivery
View details
Status / periodActive; tour launched March 2026 with an August 20, 2026 Brussels sessionLocationPav’Ion, Parc du Cinquantenaire, City of Brussels; tour-based regional deliveryPopulationOlder adults; isolated older adults; people affected by the digital divideOrganizationsParadigm; Febelfin; Warned (supporting nonprofit for the August session)FundingFunding not stated; around 15 participants attended the August 20 session

Builds confidence and capability for essential digital financial services while addressing fraud, security and trust barriers that can exclude older adults from online banking.

Activities and approach: Hands-on banking-app guidance; fraud-risk education; security precautions; individual help using participants’ smartphones, tablets or computers

NoneBanking appssmartphonestablets
Brussels-Capital Region. (2026, August 20). Paradigm helps older adults use banking apps with confidence. https://be.brussels/en/about-region/paradigm-helps-older-adults-use-banking-apps-confidenceOpen supporting source ↗
06

Inclusive digital public-service design

Digital Inclusion Review for new Brussels digital procedures

Mandatory since March 2024 · Brussels-Capital Region
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Status / periodMandatory since March 2024LocationBrussels-Capital RegionPopulationPeople with low digital skills or accessibility needsOrganizationsParadigm; Brussels administrations

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Inclusion assessment; assisted alternatives; accessibility and multichannel requirements

Education
07

Regional FTTH rollout

Fiberklaar Flanders rollout

Ongoing · Flanders
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Status / periodOngoingLocationFlandersPopulationHomes and businesses in medium-density communitiesOrganizationsFiberklaar; Proximus

Targets 1.5 million premises and broadens fiber access in Flemish communities.

Activities and approach: FTTH; open access.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
08

Community digital inclusion

Flanders/Brussels Digibanken network – 54 digibanks

Ongoing local initiatives · Flanders and Brussels
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Status / periodOngoing local initiativesLocationFlanders and BrusselsPopulationAdults at risk of digital exclusionOrganizationsFlemish Government; local partnerships

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Device lending/repair; training; assisted online-service access

Education
09

Public-private rural fiber project

Glasfaser Ostbelgien / GoFiber

Ongoing through 2026 · German-speaking Community
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Status / periodOngoing through 2026LocationGerman-speaking CommunityPopulationApproximately 40,000 homes and businesses, including white zonesOrganizationsGerman-speaking Community; Ethias; Proximus

Explicitly removes broadband white zones in a sparsely populated region.

Activities and approach: FTTH; public-private partnership.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
10

Telecom affordability

Legacy social telecom discount – protected existing beneficiaries

Ongoing legacy scheme · Nationwide
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Status / periodOngoing legacy schemeLocationNationwidePopulationOlder, disabled and income-eligible legacy beneficiariesOrganizationsBIPT; operators

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Monthly telecom discounts; annual eligibility checks

11

Digital inclusion navigation

MaCartoNum digital-help locator

Operational · Wallonia
View details
Status / periodOperationalLocationWalloniaPopulationCitizens seeking nearby digital helpOrganizationsDigital Wallonia

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Map of digital-help locations by need and proximity

12

Broadband network expansion

Orange Belgium Last-Mile Gigabit Connectivity Program

Expansion announced June 2026 · Belgium
View details
Status / periodExpansion announced June 2026LocationBelgiumPopulationCommunities reached through last-mile network expansionOrganizationsOrange Belgium and network partners

expanding gigabit-capable last-mile broadband access and supporting digital participation

Activities and approach: Last-mile connectivity; gigabit broadband expansion; regional digital infrastructure

Last-mile broadband networkGigabit broadband
The Fast Mode. (2026). Orange Belgium Expands Gigabit Broadband Access Through Last Mile Connectivity Program. https://www.thefastmode.com/technology-solutions/49331-orange-belgium-expands-gigabit-broadband-access-through-last-mile-connectivity-programOpen supporting source ↗
13

National FTTH rollout

Proximus national fiber rollout

Ongoing · Belgium
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Status / periodOngoingLocationBelgiumPopulationHomes and businessesOrganizationsProximus Group

Expands open fiber access nationwide toward very high gigabit coverage.

Activities and approach: FTTH; open wholesale network.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
14

Affordable broadband

Social Internet Offer – €19 fixed internet plan

Active since March 2024 · Nationwide
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Status / periodActive since March 2024LocationNationwidePopulationEligible low-income householdsOrganizationsBIPT; FPS Economy; participating operators

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Minimum 30 Mbps; 150 GB; regulated social price

Infrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding
15

Regional FTTH joint venture

Unifiber Wallonia fiber rollout

Ongoing · Wallonia
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Status / periodOngoingLocationWalloniaPopulationHomes and businesses, including less dense areasOrganizationsProximus; Unifiber

Targets 600,000 premises in Wallonia, extending high-capacity access beyond dense urban cores.

Activities and approach: FTTH; open fiber network.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
16

Community digital access

Wallonia Espaces Publics Numériques network

Ongoing / 2024-2026 · Wallonia
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Status / periodOngoing / 2024-2026LocationWalloniaPopulationCitizens needing equipment, Internet or supportOrganizationsWalloon Government; municipalities

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: 217+ public digital spaces; equipment; internet; coaching and training

Education
17

Coordinated multigigabit fiber expansion

Wyre–Fiberklaar coordinated Flanders fiber expansion

Approved 2026 / rollout · Flanders suburban areas
View details
Status / periodApproved 2026 / rolloutLocationFlanders suburban areasPopulationHomes and businessesOrganizationsWyre; Telenet; Proximus; Fiberklaar

Accelerates fiber to large suburban areas while allowing service-provider access to deployed networks.

Activities and approach: FTTH; network coordination; wholesale access.

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureFTTHFiber/Fiber Optic
Wyre, Telenet, Proximus and Fiberklaar join forces to expand and accelerate the roll-out of fiber networks in Flanders.Open supporting source ↗

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Belgium. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/
  2. International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
  3. World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Belgium. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=BE
  4. World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Belgium. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=BE

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