| 1. WIRE LINE SERVICES |
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Until a few years ago, Belgium's state-owned national phone company, , was your only option for phone service in Belgium. But things have changed. In an ever-growing, extremely competitive telecommunications market, other companies also provide various telecom services. Still, any company that wants to offer regular phone service has to rent lines from Belgacom. Thus, for other telecom service providers, you'll be obliged to key in a special access code before placing your call in order to benefit from their services and rate schemes.
You can sign up for phone service - no appointment necessary - and buy or rent equipment at one of Belgacom's Teleboutique. It is also possible to buy a fixed phone, mobile phone, fax or answering machine at any store that sells electronic equipment.
Belgacom charges a flat monthly fee for a fixed line. You can choose between an analogue line (PSTN), or a digital line (ISDN). One can also opt for a hybrid system, "Twin", which gives you a mix of the two previous systems. A fourth system, using ADSL technology, is Belgacom's speedy Internet solution that gives unlimited access to the web at a flat fee. This so-called "Turbo Line" connection allows its users to access the internet without blocking fixed phone lines.
In general, telecom companies offer various call management services such as call-forwarding, call-waiting and conference calls.
| 1.1 TELECOM PROVIDERS |
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Different companies provide varying degrees and types of service. It is best to think first about your telecom needs and then shop around. The high competition in the sector is good news for consumers when it come to high technology at reasonable prices
is Belgium's national telecommunications company, providing regular telephone services. Daughter-company Proximus provides cellular (GSM) services. Another daughter company, Skynet, provides the firm's Internet access, line leasing, satellite services and equipment. Belgacom offers discount (rate-reduction) programmes that help you save money on local and international calls. Customer service in English: 0800 55800 ; in French 0800 33800 ; in Dutch 0800 22800 ; in German 0800 44800. Business-to-business services include line-leasing, as well as satellite services and equipment. Special business service customer service numbers are for English 0800 55500; for French 0800 33500; for Dutch 0800 22500; for German 0800 44500.
is a Flemish operator with its own network. It offers local, interzonal and international telephony and Internet services via the television cable. They claim that, with their service, you can watch TV, talk on the phone and surf the Internet all at the same time. They also offer a telephone service specially for teenagers called Jong-Line: kids get their own phone, and their own number, but the amount of the bill is limited to a budget chosen in advance by their parents. Currently available in four major cities in Flanders as well as Brussels. Information: 0800 66000
offers discount intrazonal and international calls, depending on where you call. There are no long-term contracts and no monthly subscription costs or administration costs. You pay only for the calls you make. Telexis sends bills monthly with details sent by post or e-mail. Information: +32 (0)2 722 72 72
offers zonal, interzonal, mobile and international telecommunications at substantial discounts. No subscription fees or minimum usage requirements. Customers dial a Carrier Select Code and the phone number they want to call. System can be used from any fixed telephone that is registered with the company. you will have registered with us. Information: 0800 40600
offers voice telephony and an integrated menu of products for voice, data and Internet communication. Information: 0800 10012
All fixed-line telephone numbers in Belgium have nine digits. Depending on the area, the first two or three numbers are the area code, for example (02) 345 6789 or (023) 456 789. When dialling within Belgium, it is always necessary to precede the number of your correspondent with the correct area code
| 1.2 FREE TOLL NUMBERS |
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Belgian toll-free numbers begin with 0800. The call is free to the caller, and paid by the owner of the number. Telephone numbers preceded by 078/15 mean that the caller will pay the call at zonal rates. The owner of the number pays the remainder. So-called "Universal" numbers are preceded by 070 and are billed to the caller at interzonal rates. Pay special attention to 0900 and 077 numbers. These prefixes preceed chat-room calls and the like and can be expensive.
| 1.3 DIRECTORY SERVICES |
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Your phone books - both white pages (pages blanches/witte gids) and yellow pages (pages d'or/gouden gids) will be delivered shortly, and free of charge, after your phone is installed. Updates are delivered annually to your door.
Phone books generally have an Info Guide (pages with colored edges). This includes a key-word index, and service numbers for information about subjects ranging from the weather, through your daily horoscope to information about the stock market. These information numbers tend to be quite expensive. There is a list of recycling centres (parcs à conteneurs/containerparken) and post offices in your area, city halls nationwide, radio and community information, area maps, an index of street names and a list of all the post codes in Belgium.
| 1.4 PUBLIC PHONES |
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According to Belgacom, there are 10,000 public pay phones in Belgium. A good percentage, if not the majority, of these phones take phone cards or Proton-enabled cards but not coins. Many long-term residents of Belgium will tell you that, at any given time, 50 percent of these phones are out-of-order. Pay phones that do take coins but they don't give change. So it's a good idea to get a phone card.
| 2. WIRELESS SERVICES |
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Mobile telephones are sold by mobile operators or are widely available in specialist shops. These shops are usually official agents for one of the three major Belgian operators: , and . They can open an account for you with any of these service providers on the spot. All three operators have different payment formulas that include pay-as-you-go contracts and subscriptions. In Belgium, cellular phones are called GSMs (standing for "Global System for Mobile Communication")
A Belgian GSM is likely to work in many European countries (handy for business trips).
Belgian GSM numbers have distinct prefixes that tell a caller that he or she is calling a mobile phone: for example, Mobistar phone numbers are preceded by the prefixes (0495), (0496), (0497) and (0498). Proximus numbers are preceded by (0473), (0474), (0475), (0476), (0477), (0478) and (0479), and Orange numbers can be recognized by the prefixes (0485) and (0486). In Belgium, you don't pay for incoming calls to your GSM. However, do be careful if your have your GSM turned on when you are travelling abroad! In such cases, because your caller cannot tell that you are out of the country, you may well be responsible for the international phone charges, though in many cases the caller will still pay the local charge from his or her phone to your GSM. This is something to consider as well, if you put your fixed home phone line in Belgium on "call forwarding" to your vacation villa. The general rule seems to be that if the caller doesn't KNOW that he or she is making an international call, then the caller cannot be charged international rates. However, somebody has to pay those charges, so they typically come back on the bill of the person receiving the call. Best to check with your provider for details.
| 2.1 TELECOM PROVIDERS |
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is a daughter company of national telecom provider Belgacom and provides mobile telephone service. Proximus services include voice mail, and an 'info' line that gives instant access to the latest updates about road conditions, weather, skiing conditions, and taxi services, among other things. There is also the possibility to send and receive text messages, along with the usual services such as call waiting and caller ID. Calls to listen to your voice mail are free of charge. Information : 0800 15210
is a mobile phone (GSM) provider that offers per-second billing after the first minute. Additionally, you can check your voice-mail for free in Belgium. Mobistar services include voice mail, and an 'info' line that gives instant access to the latest updates about road conditions, weather, skiing conditions, and taxi services, among other things. There is also the possibility to send and receive text messages, along with the usual services such as call waiting and caller ID. Mobistar can also provide fixed-line service to businesses. Information : 0800 95 951
is jointly owned by British telecom firm Orange and Dutch KPN, and offers mobile service in Belgium. Orange offers 'per second' billing after the first minute - so calls lasting 61 seconds aren't charged as two minutes, but as one minute plus one second. The company also offers a 7-day trial period: if you're not satisfied, you can cancel your service without penalty. Before using the Orange network it is essential to own a dual-band GSM. Orange sells dual band GSMs that work on both the GSM-900 mhz and GSM-1800 mhz networks. This means you can use them in Belgium on Orange's GSM-1800 network and on either the GSM-900 or GSM-1800 networks abroad, which makes you accessible in several countries. Information: 0800 20486
Mobile phone numbers have ten digits, of which the first four are the provider's identification number.
The prefixes of the various mobile service provider are as follows:
| Proximus |
(0473), (0474), (0475), (0476), (0477), (0478) and (0479). |
| Mobistar |
(0495) and (0496). |
| Orange |
(0485) and (0486). |
| 3. TELEPHONE & CALLING CARDS |
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Telephone Cards - are what you use to make a phone call from Belgian public/pay phones. Phone cards work on a debit system and are available in amounts of 200 BEF ( 4,96 EUR), 500 BEF (12,39 EUR) or 1,000 BEF (24,79 EUR). You can buy phone cards at train stations, newsagents', and some supermarkets. Each country has it's own phone card, so if you travel regularly in another country, such as France or the Netherlands, and need to use a pay phone, it's a good idea to buy a French or Dutch phone card next time you're there since your Belgian card won't work. Phone cards don't have expiry dates. Some of them have interesting designs and are 'collectible.'
This is a volatile market and hence it is only by trial and error method that one can an economical card. In fact, the same card would not be economical for various destinations. Hence it is advisable to have various brands of telephone cards for various destinations ( say GNAMAN Euro card for Europe , USA and Canada and Mr BING for India.
Calling Cards - differ from phone cards in that they allow you to make calls from any phone (including foreign public phones and most hotel phones). You must also register with the provider before getting a card. The company issuing the calling card will provide you with access numbers (often toll-free) for various countries and, in many cases, a Personal Identification Number (PIN). You then use the access number (a few for Belgium are listed below) and the PIN-code to make calls. If you have a calling card and want to call from a pay phone, you will not need coins or a phone card to connect to these toll-free access numbers - just pick up the receiver and dial.
Calling card bills are sent to your home or office, generally on a monthly basis.
