As consumers increasingly opt for dual-play internet and mobile services, the regulator has encouraged regular switching to find lower prices
The popularity of streaming platforms and internet TV is changing consumer behaviour
On 11 August 2026, the BIPT – Belgium’s communications regulator – published its national pricing comparison report for fixed telecoms services, particularly for standalone internet and dual-play packages combining internet and television. Its report is based on nine usage profiles that represent a variety of Belgian consumers. The BIPT ranks the cheapest offers across different categories for each of these consumer profiles such as the technologies being used for the service (e.g., fibre, cable, satellite, FWA). The regulator said it was encouraged to review how consumer needs are changing with the development of very high capacity networks (VHCNs). Its research has found two key trends in recent years:
The widespread use of streaming platforms and internet TV via a simple fixed or mobile internet connection; and
Consumers maintain a continued interest in traditional television, which often leads them to take out a telecom subscription combining the internet with television and possibly other services.
Dual packages bundling internet and mobile services have grown significantly, but have not yet overtaken internet and TV bundles in popularity
The BIPT reports that between 2021 and 2025, residential customers choosing triple or quad-play packages have fallen by 0.8% and 17.4% respectively, while dual-play packages have increased by almost 60%. These trends follow similar findings from previous BIPT reporting, which explained that consumers are avoiding larger bundles and instead purchasing services from a variety of providers. The makeup of consumers’ favoured dual-play services has changed over time too (see Figure). The report shows that dual-play packages bundling internet and mobile services have quickly grown in popularity since 2021. The BIPT understands that consumers’ widespread use of streaming platforms and internet TV has encouraged them to opt for any simple internet connection, whether fixed or mobile, rather than choosing a more traditional internet and TV service bundle. It does caveat this by highlighting that such internet and TV packages are still popular and have maintained a stable customer base since 2021.
Consumers are encouraged to regularly shop around and switch to better offers as prices change
The studied profiles show that consumers can best find cheaper offers by avoiding primary operator brands (e.g. Orange, Proximus etc) and instead favouring secondary or alternative brands. The BIPT encourages consumers to regularly compare and switch offers to lower the prices of their services because of how quickly these different offers change. According to the BIPT, newer market entrant, DIGI, is offering aggressively lower prices for its services than any other competitor at between €7 (£5.99) and €15 (£12.84) per month, while the lowest price offered by any other operator is €34 (£29.11) per month. The BIPT has not included DIGI’s offers in its rankings for each profile due to its limited fibre coverage which is only available in Brussels, Charleroi and Liège, but does advise consumers in these cities to inquire about its services. Similarly, the report notes that for consumers paying for a service with gigabit speeds, the technology available to them may often be more important than the cheapest brand, as only fibre or cable services can guarantee such speeds. In these cases, the BIPT encourages consumers to base their choices on which fibre or cable footprints reach them, using its coverage mapping tools, rather than primarily focusing on pricing.
