Brussels’ 5G Falling Behind: A Wake-Up Call for Belgium’s Connectivity Strategy

Infrastructure deployment delays, regulatory barriers, and inconsistent performance — can Brussels reverse its status as one of Europe’s weakest 5G cities?

5G is a critical enabler of Europe’s digital transformation, powering economic growth, innovation, and social progress. The European Union’s Digital Decade Strategy has set ambitious goals: achieving universal 5G coverage in urban areas by 2025 and full coverage in all populated areas by 2030.

However, the path to truly meaningful connectivity is not just about reaching simple coverage milestones — it’s about quality, reliability, and advanced capabilities that enable real-world impact. 

The gap between ‘basic 5G’—deployments that still rely on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and low-band frequencies – and a more advanced and high-quality 5G, remains a major challenge across Europe, particularly in Brussels.

To provide a transparent, independent assessment of 5G performance across Europe, MedUX conducted its third 5G QoE Benchmarking Study in Q4 2024, measuring network performance and user experience in 15 major European cities, including Brussels (Belgium), London (United Kingdom), Berlin and Munich (Germany), Paris (France), Lisbon and Porto (Portugal), Rome and Milan (Italy), Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), Warsaw (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Stockholm (Sweden).

This research reaffirms MedUX’s commitment to delivering unparalleled insights into the real-world state of 5G networks, empowering regulators, operators, and policymakers to bridge the gap between coverage claims and true connectivity quality.

 The 5G QoE Benchmark is available on demand in the following site. 

 DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

Proximus and Orange Lead the Quality of Experience (QoE) Rankings of 5G Networks in Brussels

MedUX, a global leader in internet QoE testing and monitoring, unveils its latest findings on 5G performance in the Belgian capital and across Europe. 

Our Brussels 5G QoE Benchmarking report reveals two very good winners and a strong contender. 

• Proximus and Orange share the top position in the Brussels 5G QoE Benchmarking campaign, winning the Streaming Experience Award and all 5G Awards; network availability, download speed (together with Orange), upload speeds and gaming experience.
• Orange, as co-leader, obtains the best Data and OTT Experience and Value for Speed.
• Besides its third place, Telenet stands out in the Reliability and Network Responsiveness categories.

The latest MedUX 5G QoE Benchmarking Campaign provides a data-driven, actionable reality check on Brussels’ 5G performance. Our insights aim to drive discussions among policymakers, operators, and industry leaders, fostering collaboration to improve network and service quality and transform connectivity into a tool for societal and economic progress. 

Stay tuned for our full report, revealing the key findings and in-depth insights on 5G experience, availability, and performance across  Europe.    
 

Brussels: A 5G Rollout Struggling to Keep Pace

Despite being the political heart of Europe, Brussels  lags behind other major European cities in 5G quality. Several regulatory and market challenges might have slowed down its 5G deployment:

• Delayed 5G Auction: Belgium was among the last countries in Western Europe to allocate 5G spectrum, creating a competitive disadvantage for Brussels in network expansion.
• Strict Radiation Standards: The city enforces some of the most restrictive electromagnetic radiation limits in the world, making it difficult for operators to roll out high-performance 5G infrastructure.
• Permit Constraints: Complex approval processes and local resistance have further delayed the installation of new antennas and infrastructure, limiting coverage and capacity improvements.

MedUX 5G QoE measurement campaign in Brussels

As part of our commitment to delivering comprehensive insights into 5G performance across Europe, MedUX conducted an extensive 5G QoE measurement campaign in Brussels. Our rigorous methodology evaluates key parameters, including: coverage, reliability, and data & OTT (over-the-top) services, providing an accurate and detailed reflection of the Belgian capital’s 5G landscape.

Rigorous Testing Methodology

• Extensive Data Collection:
  • 300 km of drive tests and 100 km² of area coverage across Brussels.
  • 300,000 radio samples and 11,000 tests conducted in Q4 2024.
  • Performance assessment of Orange, Proximus, and Telenet across key 5G quality parameters.
• Comprehensive QoE Benchmarking:
  • Service Availability & Accessibility (time-to-content).
  • Network Speed (downlink & uplink).
  • File Transfers, Web Browsing, and Streaming Performance.
  • Social Media and Gaming Experience.

A Standardized Approach for Benchmarking

Our team of expert engineers and data scientists has developed 5G-ready measurement robots and a state-of-the-art methodology for benchmarking 5G networks across Europe.

• Proprietary QoE Score: MedUX uses a synthetic QoE Score based on international best practices and standards from ETSI and ITU to compare and rank operators' performance.
• City-Level Comparisons: Performance results for all mobile network operators in each city are aggregated to provide a comprehensive ranking at the national and European levels.    
   

Key Findings of Brussels 5G QoE: Performance Breakdown

Our 5G QoE Benchmarking Study in Brussels provides an in-depth evaluation of network performance among the city's major operators. Here’s how Proximus, Orange, and Telenet ranked across key performance metrics:

Proximus: The Standout Leader

Our extensive analysis confirms Proximus as the best-performing operator in Brussels, leading in upload speed, streaming quality, gaming experience, and 5G registration rate. The operator provides the most reliable and consistent 5G experience, registering 5G connectivity 46% of the time.

• Top Upload Speeds: Up to 189 Mbps.
• Best Streaming Experience: 84.8% of video playback in full resolution (4K).
• Lowest Gaming Latency: 46 ms, ensuring fast response times for interactive applications.

Proximus was subject to 10,000 radio samples and over 3,000 network tests, revealing excellent overall network quality, fast upload speeds, smooth streaming, and quick response times for demanding services like gaming.

Orange: A Strong Co-Leader

Orange proves to be a remarkably consistent competitor, excelling in upload and download speeds and data & OTT service experience. The operator ranks highest in Value for Speed, achieving an impressive 82% score, outperforming Proximus by 1.77%.

• Fast Download Speeds: 236 Mbps on average, with peak values reaching 1.2 Gbps.Best Data & OTT Service 
• Performance: Leading in social media, web browsing, file transfers, and cloud services. 

The results indicate that Orange customers will experience seamless browsing, rapid site loading, and near-instant time-to-content on social media and OTT services.    

Telenet: A strong contender in Reliability

Telenet also made significant contributions and was lauded for its performance in Network Responsiveness and reliability in most categories.

• It delivered the highest reliability with 99.59% of completed tests.
• Additionally, Telenet demonstrated strong performance in latency stability, achieving an average jitter of 15 ms across the most used services and ensuring smooth gaming experiences with 85% of sessions remaining below 20 ms of jitter.

 The 5G QoE Benchmark is available on demand in the following site. 

 DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

Brussels' 5G Experience: How It Compares to Other European Cities

Despite notable performances from Proximus, Orange, and Telenet, Brussels lags behind other European capitals for 5G Quality of Experience (QoE). MedUX’s upcoming European 5G Benchmarking Report, set for release in the second half of February, will shed light on the challenges in Belgium’s 5G landscape and the improvements needed to align with EU connectivity goals.

Strengths: Brussels offers very good social media performance, with only a small gap compared to the best-performing European cities.

Weaknesses: However, Brussels ranks among the worst in Europe for speed performance score, reliability (service consistency), and streaming experience.

Key Improvement Areas:

• Speed & Performance: Brussels receives the worst-in-class speed score in Europe.
• Technology Availability: The city is a laggard in 5G accessibility, with only 36% 5G registration, significantly lower than top-performing capitals.

To bring Brussels closer to the best-in-class 5G cities, network improvements must focus first on speed and then on expanding 5G availability, ensuring a more consistent and high-quality experience for citizens.

Brussels’ 5G Coverage: Falling Behind European Standards

Across Europe, the average high-quality 5G coverage (deployments using the pioneer mid-band spectrum) in urban areas reaches 70%, though with significant variations between cities. Brussels, however, ranks last, with high-quality 5G availability of just 25% - far below the European benchmark.    

On top of this, Brussels networks fall behind in both DL and UL speeds, with particular poor performance in average downlink speeds, reaching up to 67% lower than Stockholm (Best-in-Class). Median speeds are five times lower than leaders such as Porto, Lisbon, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. In the worst 10% of cases, speeds drop below 18 Mbps, highlighting a significant gap between basic and advanced 5G performance. 

This disparity limits most demanding applications such as live streaming, remote working, low latency online gaming and UHD streaming, making network upgrades essential for Brussels to stay competitive in Europe's digital future. 

Bridging the 5G Performance Gap: A Call to Action for Brussels

The gap between basic and advanced 5G capabilities is a major obstacle to delivering the transformative, high-quality user experience that next-generation connectivity promises.   
With the EU Digital Decade 2025 targets aiming for uninterrupted 5G coverage across all urban areas and major transport routes, Brussels must accelerate its 5G deployment strategy to avoid lagging behind European leaders. .   
At MedUX, our 5G QoE Benchmarking Report serves as a vital resource for telecom operators and policymakers, offering comprehensive performance insights to guide strategic improvements.   
By leveraging QoE-driven analytics and real-world testing methodologies, we empower industry stakeholders to enhance connectivity, close performance gaps, and meet the evolving demands of 5G users.

 The 5G QoE Benchmark is available on demand in the following site. 

 DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

    
Why QoE Matters

Quality of Service (QoS) has long been the industry standard, but MedUX's focus shifts towards QoE - a more holistic view of network performance. This shift is crucial in understanding the real-world implications of 5G technology, especially as the industry navigates through the nuances of NSA and SA deployments.

In our continuous effort to demystify 5G performance, MedUX employs its innovative mobile measurement technology, MedUX MOBILE, harnessing over 200 performance indicators and metrics. This approach not only offers an in-depth analysis of network performance but also aligns with our mission to assist clients in planning, deploying, monitoring, and optimizing 5G networks.

Our 5G QoE benchmark can cover a wide range of scenarios and use cases, including urban, suburban, and rural areas, indoor and outdoor locations, or any other strategic location or vehicles in mobility such as buses, trains and metros, thanks to our grand-scale flexible deployment capability.

MedUX focuses on evaluating the QoE that mobile end-users have when using telecommunication services, also called customer-perceived network quality or network experience.    
 

What do you get joining the #QoERevolution with MedUX?

This benchmark allows telecommunications operators, service providers, and regulatory authorities to gain a deeper understanding of the true performance of 5G networks from a customer perspective. 

Speed is not everything and the industry is trying to adapt to meet the needs of customers when using real services. Typical end-users do not necessarily benefit much from download speeds of multiple 100Mbps (not yet). End-users just use a small percentage of those headline speeds when web browsing, streaming, and any other internet regular activities. Indeed, Reliability (how consistent a network performs) or CDN performance (how your contents are served) is way more relevant in the 5G Era than just performing a throughput and ping test against an (optimized) test server to infer the customer experience. 

So, what do users care about in 5G? A consistent experience across services and applications is king, particularly applications performance and time-to-content everywhere and every time, at every click to a video, websites, social networks, cloud storage, games, etc.   
 

Conclusion

The Brussels 5G QoE Benchmarking campaign is a testament to MedUX's unwavering dedication to enhancing network experiences across Europe. As we gear up for our next edition, which promises even broader coverage and deeper insights, we invite you to join us in this journey of technological excellence.

Discover more about our methodologies, insights, and how MedUX is shaping the future of 5G connectivity. For detailed insights and comprehensive data from our Brussels 5G QoE study, visit our website or contact us at hello@medux.com.

Don’t forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates and news. And, most importantly, let's make time to meet at MWC25. We are ready to unlock extraordinary digital experiences with MedUX. 

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 The 5G QoE Benchmark is available on demand in the following site. 

 DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

    
 To learn more about our 5G QoE benchmark, our 5G use cases on competitive intelligence, pre-rollout analytics, and basic troubleshooting, and how it can benefit your business, please visit our website or contact us directly at hello@medux.com.

About us:

MedUX is the leading Quality of Experience (QoE) company, providing comprehensive and innovative solutions for measuring the performance of fixed, mobile, and TV telecommunications networks for telecom operators, governments, and digital enterprises. With a focus on delivering grand scale, end-to-end network, and service visibility, MedUX leverages real-time customer perspective data and advanced analytics to ensure quality and regulatory compliance, while also offering valuable insights for optimizing networks and improving customer experiences. With a presence in over 25 countries across Europe, America, Africa, and the Middle East, and monitoring over 60 operators worldwide, MedUX’s patented technology and expertise make it a trusted partner for improving the digital experiences of customers everywhere   
 

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