Belgium has developed a plan to return to top echelon of broadband penetration in Europe. It was among the countries with the highest penetration until 2005, but the latest figures from the European Commission show it is now in eighth position.
Analysys Mason and law firm Hogan & Hartson reviewed the status of the broadband markets in Belgium and set out actions to address the market issues the identified in a report - Promoting the development of the broadband market in Belgium.
"Regarding prices, although there has been a strong increase in broadband offer attractiveness since the end of 2007, with more than twice the speed for the same price from the main market players, the Belgian market is still characterised by high retail prices in comparison to other European countries" says Stephane Piot, Senior Manager at Analysys Mason and co-author of the report for BIPT, the Belgium telecoms regulator.
Piot added, 'Our assessment shows that market growth is slowing down and that the market is highly concentrated, with the two main established players cumulating over 80% market share over the last two years, which is not conducive to vibrant competition.'