In January, Proximus will increase its rates again, only six months after the last price increase. Strange, just when inflation is heading in the right direction. Why is this necessary and what can you do about it if you want to avoid such high rates?
Dimitri Thijskens2 november 2023, 19:38
Why is it that Proximus is raising its prices again?
Normally, Proximus increases its rates once a year, in January. But in 2023, there was also a price increase for various products and packages in July. That is three price increases in just one year. “And that is quite unpleasant,” says Lise Clays, spokesperson for Testaankoop. “In addition, a number of older package formulas were scrapped, forcing some to switch. This often came with a higher price tag.”
The cheapest regular internet offer also increases from 25 to 28 euros, an additional 12 percent in one fell swoop. The social rate of 19 euros will be introduced from March. “In this way, Proximus widens the gap with those who fall just outside the conditions of the social rate,” says Clays. “They will have to pay 9 euros per month more than those who can enjoy it.”
Proximus itself indicates that this price increase is absolutely necessary because of “the persistent inflation, which continues to put pressure on our costs, both in terms of wages and technological equipment”. Strange, just when inflation seems to be gradually coming under control: according to the latest figures from Statbel, it was only 0.36 percent in October. It is true that Proximus is busy rolling out fiber optic, which requires significant investments.
Proximus is not the only one that has increased its rates, Telenet also implemented a 6 percent price increase in June this year.
Do we pay much more than in the rest of Europe?
For fixed internet and combination packages, we are among the most expensive in Europe, together with countries such as Portugal, Croatia and Ireland. Even for packages with a smaller download limit – in many countries there are no longer any limits – and a lower speed, you still have to pay a lot of money in Belgium. “That has a lot to do with the limited competition in our country,” says Clays. “Here you only have three players – Proximus, Telenet and Orange – who offer fixed internet. Then you don’t get as much pressure on prices.”
Belgium is therefore a small market that requires a lot of investment to enter. In France you immediately have 60 million potential customers, here there are only 11 million. In addition, the rules imposed by BIPT are fairly strict. All obstacles for new players. Next year, a fourth full-fledged player will be added with the Romanian DIGI Belgium/Citymesh. No rates are currently known. The expectation at Testaankoop is that it will not immediately lead to a price drop, but will lead to consolidation. Clays: “If there is a decline, we will pop the champagne. But I think we can leave it in the fridge.”
We see that competition works in the mobile internet market. There are many more players in Belgium and we do not belong to the pack of the most expensive countries. You will find us there in the middle bracket. It is striking that Proximus (with Mobile Vikings and edpnet) and Orange (with hey! telecom) have recently acquired a number of discounters. What’s behind that? Clays: “I don’t know their strategy, but it seems to me that the intention is to attract young people through cheaper subscriptions with more limited options and then allow them to easily switch to the more expensive packages and products later.”
How can you easily save money on your telecom bill?
Through a number of simple principles. First and foremost, it is important to check which services you have in your package and to what extent you actually use them. We give a number of concrete examples. You often still pay for digital TV, the amount of which can quickly add up. Nowadays, many have already decided to throw that out and just watch via the apps of VRT, VTM, Vier, Netflix, Prime… Or if you don’t want to go that far, you can put all that digital box aside and use Telenet or Proximus. Watch TV via the app. That can save you a few tens of euros per year.
For fixed internet, you should think about whether you need an unlimited package or fiber. “Especially when the children have left the house, 200 gigabytes per month may be enough for you,” says Clays. “Fiber is not a must for most anyway. This is especially useful for avid gamers, who play games with two or three at the same time, or for companies.”
After you have completed that exercise, it is best to compare the different providers and formulas. BIPT has developed a very user-friendly website for this purpose: www.bestetarief.be. You can simply have your existing subscription automatically filled in and you will then receive an overview of comparable packages or services. Or you can simply designate everything as you wish. All providers are obliged to keep this overview up to date with their formulas. This way you know that you always receive the most recent information. Finally, you can do it easily – and for free! – make the switch to another provider. Just like with your energy supplier.
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2023-11-02 18:38:42
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