In this guide I provide you with tips and tricks to set up home internet in Ghent. I divided this into 6 steps. Starting with an outline why having the internet in Ghent and Belgium is expensive. Next, I provide information about download speed and internet providers for your location before showing tools to compare between internet providers. As a final step I give suggestions for packaged deals and what documents are required to sign the contract.

1. Expect to pay a lot for internet in Ghent

Internet in Belgium is expensive (expect to pay roughly 30 – 60 euros per month for unlimited download volume). Compared to its neighbouring countries, GlobalData estimated in 2017 that Belgium and the UK pay the most for mobile data, and it seems that the same is true for fixed internet. Several articles suggest that the market power of the two big telephone network cable providers (Telenet and Proximus) does not help to create a more competitive environment. Alternatives using a television cable network provider, satellite or wifi hotspots are in a similar price range. For both telephone and television network cable providers a modem is required. You can check the costs for a modem on setting up the contract (~ 60 euros). Installation costs usually apply as well and are in the order of 50 -100 euros. There are no television and radio licence fees to pay in Ghent.

2. Know the maximum download speed at your address

This will help you not pay too much for the contract you are about to get. For example, if only 50 Mbps download bandwidth is possible at your address, there is no need to pay extra for a higher bandwidth than that. Typical download bandwidths in Ghent vary between 12 Mbps and 200 Mbps (fibre cable). There is an easy online tool to check which maximum bandwidth is possible at your address.

3. Check the internet providers available at your address

There are 3 ways to connect to the internet in Belgium. Via the

• Telephone line (ADSL or VDSL),
• Satellite or cable television network and
• Wifi (e.g. hotspot).

Most common is to use the first option and connect via a broadband telephone cable (more information is provided by the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications). These broadband cables are provided by 3 companies, namely Proximus, Telenet and VOO. Each of these telephone network cable providers offers the possibility to check whether they provide to your address on their websites.

Once you have checked the network cable provider available at your address you may choose the internet provider from the same company. Alternatively, from the table above you may choose another provider that makes use of the same cable (with a better price deal but probably less service).

4. Compare providers for internet in Ghent

The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications offers an extremely helpful selection tool to see which available internet offer is the best match for your user preferences, location and current installation. They distinguish between little (Facebook/Google/email: ~20Mbit/s), regular (streaming/Netflix/YouTube: ~60Mbit/s) and heavy (gamer: ~100-500Mbit/s) usage. This website is available in English.

A complete list of internet providers and their offered packages is given on this online comparison portal. The internet offers often distinguish between low and high usage.

5. Go for a package deal with landline, television and mobile

Especially the television network cable providers (Telesat, TeleVlaanderen) but also the big telephone network cable providers (Proximus, Telenet, VOO) offer package deals including internet, landline, mobile and television. It is always worth the extra effort to check for temporary offers with the provider directly.

6. Bring the following documents to sign the contract

You can complete contracts online, via phone or personally in the provider stores in Ghent. Typically required information to sign the contract are a:

• valid passport
• the rental contract for the place where the service will be installed
• work contract (University contract/certificate as a student)

Domiciliëring, Belgian ID’s and a Belgian bank account make the process easier but are not required. Plan for 1 month installation time before everything is set up.

Finally, it is worthwhile checking with your neighbours about legal options to share one account via a wifi hotspot. Personally, I am a frequent user of the University wifi Eduroam (if you are a student) or the public library De Krook and other internet coffee places. You may also consider only using your mobile internet since mobile internet prices are more competitive and the coverage (4G in the whole of Belgium) is optimum.

Author: Max Streicher