Proximus is aiming to increase the capacity of its network tenfold after launching a three year transport network modernisation project.
The new TITAN (Terabit IP Transport Aggregation Network) will gradually replace the Belgian operator’s existing IP network as it is implemented over the next three years.
Proximus said TITAN is necessary to meet the demands of booming video, streaming, audio and cloud services over the coming decade.
The project will be a combination of deploying optical fibre and vectoring, and strengthening its mobile and infrastructure networks. In total, almost 800 major transmission hubs will be replaced and 50,000 optical fibre links in 600 buildings will be reconnected.
By the end of 2021, these 50,000 connections will be able to provide a capacity of 10GBps, providing mobile infrastructure and businesses with optical fibre. The new network’s routers will use ultra-fast IP to connect to one another and provide 100GBps capacity.
The decentralised network will also protect against technical issues affecting its wider customer base, it added.
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Proximus is working closely with Nokia’s IP innovation centre in Antwerp on TITAN and will deploy its 7750 SR14S routers, which it said are the first to be armed with multi-terabit processors.
TITAN will be rolled out incrementally across specific parts of Belgium in order to minimise disruption on its network. The operator said work would be carried out between midnight and 6am.
Dominique Leroy, CEO of Proximus Group, said: “We are committed to provide the best possible service to all our customers every day. This is why we continue to invest in our networks.
“To address the growing use of bandwidth and the rise in data traffic, it is key that we proactively strengthen our transport network, the backbone of all voice, data and TV traffic. This investment will enable us to continue offering a superior digital experience to our customers.”
The infrastructure investment comes amid growing concern from Belgian operators about the market being opened up to a fourth player.
The Belgian government wants a fourth player to compete with Orange, Proximus and Telenet but Proximus said last month said the introduction of an additional operator would hit 5G deployment, profits and jobs.