5G has been operational in Belgium since the end of 2020. In the course of 2020, Belgian operators already activated 5G on the spectrum for which provisional rights of use had been granted at the time, as well as on the basis of their then 3G licence in the 2100 MHz band.
In 2022, the 5G pioneer bands at 700 MHz and 3600 MHz were auctioned for a period of 20 years. Currently Proximus, Orange and Telenet offer an abundance of 5G services on their own networks.
DIGI launched a commercial service offer in December 2024. Pending the development of its own 5G network, DIGI offers 4G via the Proximus network.
The MVNOs ("mobile virtual network operators", they do not have their own wireless network infrastructure but use the network of a mobile network operator to offer mobile communications services) naturally follow the evolution towards 5G.
The initial deployment of 5G is mainly based on NSA (non-standalone), keeping the benefits of 5G from being fully realized.