Proximus will increase its prices again from 1 May, justifying the increase as necessary in order to keep up with inflation, according to a press release on 1 March.
This is the second time that the company has raised its prices this year, having already raised the price on several of its products in January. Prices for Proximus’ “Flex”, “Business Flex”, and “EPIC” packages are set to increase by between €3 – €4 per month. The mobile operator insists that the price of packages increased in January will not be affected.
Proximus insists that the increase in prices was “unavoidable” due to rapidly increasing inflation which had increased company costs, especially in wages and technological equipment.
A nation-wide struggle
Belgium has been hit hard by rising inflation, raising to 8% in February. These increases have been pushed by rapidly rising energy prices and fears over the war in Ukraine. The price of natural gas hit all-time highs last winter.
Proximus is the latest in a string of phone operators to announce price hikes this year. Consumer affairs group “Test Achats” has been critical of these increases. In a press release, the group decried the mobile operator market as having shown a “flagrant lack of competition”, which it blames for increased tariffs.
The group described this increase as “another stab at the buying power of households.”
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But it’s not all bad news. According to the carrier, Proximus will also reduce prices on some of its other packages: “To support the households most affected by inflation, Proximus has decided to also reduce the price of its entry-level internet access offer by €2.50 per month.”
Test Achats recommends that consumers use comparison sites in order to shop around for the best price. Some “all-in” subscription services also offer more competitive prices, bundling together mobile, landline, television, and internet services for a cheaper price.
