Belgium
|
Belgium |
|
These
pages present basic facts and technology indicators
about the Information Society developments in Belgium. |
All data have been collected from readily publicly available sources of information. Some are estimates. They should be considered only as indicative of trends and general tendencies. |
1. Economic data
1.1 General socio-economic data
|
Reference years |
||
|
Total area (km2) |
30 500(1) |
1999 |
|
Population |
10 181 900(1) |
1997 |
|
Gross national Product (GNP) (EURO billion) |
261.2(2) |
1999 |
|
Gross National Product (GNP) per capita (EURO) |
25 496.7(2) |
1999 |
Source :
(1) INED (French National Institute of Statistical Studies). www.ined.fr
(2)"Bilan Economique et Social du Monde 1999"
Conversion rate used : 1$= 1.0046 Euro (average exchange rate for 1999)
1.2 Telecom market size (Millions Euro)
|
Millions Euro |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
Equipement Market |
922 |
1 200 |
|
Services Market |
4 968 |
5 500 |
|
Total Telecommunication Market |
5 891 |
6 700 |
Source : French Expansion Economic Center. Bruxelles@dree.org .
2. Actors and competition
2.1 Fixed operators
|
Number of operators having a license at the end of 1999 |
31 |
Source : DRS Group quoted in " Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications - annual report 1999 ".
|
Examples of fixed operators |
|
Belgacom : Historic
Operator |
Source : Belgacom www.belgacom.com.
2.2 Mobile operators
|
Number of subscribers |
Type of network |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
% of the market (end 1999) |
|
Belgacom Mobile |
GSM |
683 000 |
1 238 000 |
2 067 000 |
65,02 |
|
Belgacom Mobile |
NMT-450 |
17000 |
10500 |
- |
|
|
Mobistar |
GSM |
283 000 |
510 000 |
1 040 000 |
32,72 |
|
KPN Orange |
DCS-1800 |
- |
- |
72 000 |
2,26 |
Source: Mobile Communication n°255 & 278
2.3 Internet Service Providers
|
Estimation of the Number of Internet Service Providers |
Last reference date |
|
140 |
1999 |
Source : Analysis
Main Internet Services Providers
Company
Web sites
Number of Users May 2000
Skynet (Belgacom) :
www.skynet.be/
www.belcast.be290 000
Ping :
www.planetinternet.be 175 000
World On line :
www.worldonline.be 150 000
Win :
www.win.be 104 000
Freebel :
www.freebel.be 100 000
Wanadoo :
www.wanadoo.be 85 000
Yucom :
www.yucom.be 75 000
Freegates
www.freegates.be 63 000
Online Internet (merge of Globe internet, United callers, Belgium Online and Arcadis on March 30th)
www.online.be 30 000
Uunet :
www.unnet.be Eunet :
www.kpnbelgium.be Infonie :
www.infonie.be Cybernet
www.cyber.net Belgium explorer
www.belgiumexlorer.com Belgium Internet Provider
www.bip.be Source : French Economic Center in Bruxelles- www.dree.org/belgique – May 2000
*Merge on March 30th.
2.4 Portals
|
Main portals |
|
|
Skynet |
www.belcast.be |
|
Swing |
www.swing.be |
|
Wanadoo |
www.wanadoo.be |
|
Lycos |
www.lycos.be |
|
Planet internet |
www.planetinternet.be |
|
msn |
www.msn.be |
Source : Sema Group
3. Basic Indicators
3.1 Internet
3.1.1 General data
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Number of Internet users |
800 000(1) |
1 429 930(1) |
|
Number of Internet Connections |
207 277(2) |
735 303(2) |
|
Number of Internet domestic users |
714 960(3) |
|
|
Number of Internet users per 100 inh |
8 (4) |
14 (4) |
|
Estimation of Internet penetration rate in companies |
38%(5) |
49%(5) |
Source :
(1) www.nua.ie
(2) ISPA (Internet Service Providers Association)
The number of connections does not necessarily correspond to the number of users. A connections is most of the time used by several users.
(3) Idate : www.idate.fr
(4) Sema Group calculation
(5) French economic Center in Brussels3.1.2 E-Commerce
|
End 1999 |
|
|
E-commerce market (EURO Million) |
77 (1) |
|
E-commerce market per 100 inhabitants (Euros) |
754 (2) |
|
End 1999 |
|
|
Number of e-commerce users |
200 190(3) |
|
Number of e-commerce users per 100 inh |
2 (2) |
|
Number of e-commerce Users/Total Number of Internet Users |
14 (2) |
Source :
(1) BCG"the race for online riches-e retailing in Europe"(02/200). Rate of exchange $ / Euro : 1.0046 (average $ / Euro exchange rate on 1999).
(2) Sema Group calculation
(3)Taylor Nelson Sofres3.1.3 Web sites
|
Number of adresses under .be domain |
Last reference date |
|
23 397 |
12/99 |
Source : DNS Belgium registration office (INS)
3.1.4 Internet hosts
|
Number of Internet hosts |
Last reference date |
|
339 357 |
01/2000 |
Source : www.journaldunet.fr
3.2 Telephones lines
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines |
4 672 381(1) |
4 888 307(1) |
4 791 197(1) |
|
Total number ISDN channels |
98 548(2) |
184 700(2) |
350 930(2) |
|
Total number of mobile phone subscriptions |
983 000(3) |
1 758 500(3) |
3 179 000(3) |
|
Total number of lines |
5 753 929 |
6 831 507 |
8 321 127 |
Source :
(1) Belgacom
(2)Sixth Annual report of the French Committee for the Telecommunication and Belgacom
(3)Mobile Communication n°255 & 278
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines per 100 inh. |
46 |
48 |
47 |
|
Total number of ISDN channels per 100 inh. |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Total number of mobile phone subscriptions per 100 inh. |
9.7 |
17.3 |
31.3 |
|
Total number of lines per 100 inh. |
57 |
67 |
81 |
Source : Sema Group calculation
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
% of conventional lines / total number of lines |
81 |
72 |
58 |
|
% of ISDN channels / Total number of lines |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
% of mobiles phone subscriptions / Total number of lines |
17 |
26 |
38 |
Source : Sema Group calculation
3.3 Public pay phones
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Installed base |
15 888 |
16 696 |
|
Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.) |
1.56 |
1.63 |
Source : 6th IBPT Annual Report
3.4 Personal computers
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Total number of PCs Households |
1 305 000 |
1 560 000* |
1 982 400* |
|
Total number of Business PCs |
1 630 000 |
1 850 200* |
2 000 000* |
|
Total number of PCs |
2 935 000 |
3 410 200* |
3 982 400* |
Source :
LENTIC
* Estimations based on 1997 figures
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
|
|
Total number of Home PCs per 100 inh. |
12.8 |
15.3 |
19.4 |
|
Total number of Business PCs per 100 inh. |
16 |
18.2 |
19.6 |
|
Total number of PCs per 100 inh. |
28.8 |
33.5 |
39 |
Source : Sema Group calculation
3.5 Television
|
Television |
Total number |
Number per 100 inh. |
Last reference date |
|
Number of TV Households |
4 390 000(1) |
43 |
10/99 |
|
Number of Home Cable TV Subscribers |
4 170 000(1) |
40.8 |
10/99 |
|
Number of Home equipped with Satellite |
450 000(2) |
4.4 |
1999 |
Source :
(1) www.inside-cable.co.uk
(2) ECCA (European Cable Communication Association) : www.ecca.be
|
Total number |
Last reference date |
|
|
Number of Households |
4 500 000(1) |
10/99 |
|
Number of homes passed by cable |
3 800 000(1) |
10/99 |
|
Number of Homes passed by cable / Number of Households |
84.4% |
10/99 |
Source : (1) www.inside-cable.co.uk
3.6 Voice traffic
|
End 1999 |
|
|
Total number of minutes of national long distance communications (million) (excluding local traffic) |
2 292 |
|
Total number of outgoing minutes of international communications (million) |
1 270 |
Source : IBPT (Institut Belge des Services Postaux et des Telecommunications)
