On the eve of its takeover by French telecommunications giant Orange, Walloon provider VOO has stated that it intends to expand its network of high-speed gigabit connectivity to half of Walloon households, Le Soir reports.
The company’s high-speed internet rollout first started in 2021 in Liège, Wavre and Charleroi and already covers around a quarter of Walloon households. An additional 22 rural municipalities have been connected to the network, as well as six Brussels municipalities.
In 2023, VOO plans to expand its coverage to 50% of households, envisioning a €100 million investment. The city of Namur has recently been connected to a high-speed network. In July, the cities of Louvain-la-Neuve and La Louvière will also be added. Between January and July, 170,000 new homes will receive super-fast gigabit connectivity.
The company’s rural offering is also set to be increased. 230 kilometres of fibre optic cabling will be rolled out in the municipalities of Houffalize, Frasnes-lez-Anvaing, Bertogne and Ohey. According to VOO's new boss, Edouard Rodriguez, these investments were made possible by funds from Wallonia’s recovery plan.
The digital needs of Wallonia are continuing to grow and VOO is keen to remain competitive in its fibre roll-out alongside Proximus. VOO has set a goal of completely modernising its network by 2028, at the latest, but expects that progress might happen much faster.
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After its takeover by Orange, which purchased 75% of the shares in the company from its Liège-based owner Nethys, the modernisation of the company should be further boosted. European competition authorities are expected to greenlight the takeover at the end of March and the sale agreement should take place at the start of June.
The VOO CEO says that the Orange takeover will give the company greater access to capital which will “enable it to invest massively in the network.” Orange has a large R&D facility allowing the company to take a more prominent role in the French-speaking telecommunications market.
