General

Communications in Belgium are extensive and advanced. Belgium possesses the infrastructure for both mobile and land-based telecom, as well as having significant television, radio and internet infrastructure.

There were 4.719 million main telephone lines in use in Belgium in 2006. Mobile telephone ownership has increased from 974,494 in 2003 to 9.66 million in 2006. The telephone system itself is highly developed and technologically advanced, with full automation in facilities that handle domestic and international telecom. Domestically speaking, the county has a nationwide cellular telephone system and an extensive network of telephone cables. The microwave relay network is, however, more limited. For international communications, Belgium has 5 submarine cables and a number of satellite earth stations, two of which are Intelsat and one Eutelsat. There are 61 internet service providers in Belgium, serving 4.8 million internet users in 2005.

In 1998, Belgium had 79 FM radio stations, 7 AM stations and 1 shortwave station, serving 8.075 million radios owned in the country. In terms of television, there were 25 broadcast stations in 1997, and a further 10 repeaters. At this time, 4.72 million televisions were owned nationwide.

Public radio in Belgium is controlled by the VRT for the Dutch speaking region (Flanders and Brussels) the RTBF for the French speaking region (Wallonia and Brussels) and the BRF for the German community in Belgium.

Overview

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.719 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.66 million (2006)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 32; submarine cables - 5; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 79, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:
.be

Internet hosts:
3.195 million (2007)

Internet users:
4.8 million (2005)