Where are the current opportunities and obstacles in Belgium’s data centre and fibre sector? What’s going smoothly? Where is there still work to be done? Friso Haringsma, CEO of Datacenter United and founder of the BDIA (Belgian Digital Infrastructure Association), and Jean Paul Rooseleer, Regional Manager Belgium/Luxembourg at Reichle & De-Massari (R&M), share their views in a joint interview…
One integrated dossier
Friso Haringsma: “Looking at fibre coverage, Belgium is lagging to some extent. In an EU comparison, Belgian FTTH coverage was among the lowest as of September last year (~28% coverage at that time). The FTTH Council’s ‘Market Panorama 2025’ (status through September 2024) confirms that lag. But we are now seeing a clear acceleration. Proximus is working hard and has launched several joint ventures, including one with BDO. The goal is for more than 70% of all homes and businesses (~4.2 million) to be ‘passed’ by the end of 2028. The BDIA advocates speeding up and simplifying permitting procedures and spatial planning. The regulatory framework is a challenge in Belgium. The problem often lies in unfamiliarity and complexity. Infrastructure such as water and public transport has traditionally been in government hands, but data centres and digital infrastructure are largely in the hands of market parties. That makes matters complicated.”
“We lack vision in this area—as a sector, but also from the government side—when it comes to setting out clear legal frameworks. Energy demand for existing and new data centres is, for example, ten times larger than the current supply. In addition, we are in talks with various authorities to connect our data centres to district heating networks. In doing so, we can support society in two ways: on the one hand with digital services that are crucial for the local economy and society, and on the other by using a by-product—waste heat—for a wider public good. As BDIA chair, I want to stress that we see our role as supporting government and investors with reliable data and reports. We want to use these reports as a basis for policies and permitting, so that decisions can be made more quickly and consistently. Choices need to be made in the short term. Our sector cannot do this alone, and at the same time we can’t expect energy suppliers to sort everything out. Significant investment is needed, as well as time and vision. The question is: which direction to take?
“Politically, we need a clear mission and focus. Now, authorities are being flooded with applications. These are necessary for data centre owners to determine available capacity and how to size their buildings. It is therefore crucial that these applications are processed in good time. That way everyone knows where they stand, and smart solutions can be considered—for example flexible energy contracts based on actual power consumed, or other innovative structures.”
“Another challenge is the handling of applications. Politicians and administrations are overwhelmed, while data centre owners need their responses to plan capacity. Faster procedures and transparency are crucial. This also allows for new concepts to emerge, such as flexible energy contracts based on actual consumption. Data centres can be attractive investments but building too fast and at too large a scale can cause congestion on the electricity grid and the fibre backbone. If everyone invests at the same time, there’s also the risk of an economic bubble. Energy capacity, data centres and fibre must therefore be approached as a single integrated whole.”
Chicken-and-egg situation
Jean Paul Rooseleer: “R&M has worked with Proximus on upgrading the fibre backbone and connectivity, especially in Wallonia, and this has given us insight into the passive layer. In Belgium, we’ve always had a kind of ‘chicken-and-egg’ situation: all the players keep waiting for each other. If one party invests, others hope to benefit, but no one wants to take the first step. There have been regional and federal political initiatives. The fact that Belgium has two levels of government doesn’t make things easier. Municipalities play an important role: they need to grant permits to open streets, and that can cause delays. I recently heard of 27 permits being required to dig just a few kilometres of fibre in Wallonia. That type of thing doesn’t help.”
“In the data centre world, we see similar challenges: investments are too few and too slow, procedures are complex, and avenues for appeal are very easily accessible. An approved project can still be stalled for years. A striking example is the new Club Brugge football stadium: the application dates from 2011, and fourteen years later construction still hasn’t started. Cases like that show how things can go wrong, and the same applies to data centres.”
“In the Belgian market there is, fortunately, a great deal of inventiveness and practical knowledge, which means solutions match the real-world situation. At R&M we’ve opted for a modular ‘building blocks ’ approach. That enables a ‘pay as you grow’ strategy: you can expand step by step, depending on new contracts and technical requirements. This aligns better with Belgian practice than the approach of many American players, who want to build at a vast scale from the outset. Here, gradual growth is more realistic. Belgium can develop into a European hub, partly because neighbouring countries are hitting their limits, for example in energy capacity. Our central location, multilingualism and entrepreneurial mindset are all strong assets.”
“When we look at technological solutions, high-density connectivity is essential. At R&M we are continuously working on this. We are the world record holder for the number of fibre connections that can be accommodated in a single rack unit (1U): up to 120 fibres. Three things matter most right now: the lowest possible energy consumption, a minimal footprint per connection, and modular construction. Like servers, battery systems can be stacked and interconnected. In addition, visualisation and digitisation of the physical infrastructure are playing an ever-greater role. How do all connections run? What capacity is still free in the data centre? What is available in terms of power, cooling, and space? With these insights, data centres can be utilised to the maximum instead of constantly expanding. Since water and electricity are relatively expensive in Belgium, it’s important that the government keeps these costs under control, so our sector remains competitive.”
A very attractive alternative
Friso Harinsgma: “I agree. Belgium will never become a fibre metropolis like Frankfurt or Amsterdam, but we can position ourselves more clearly as the logical hub for parties wanting to avoid saturation in the Netherlands and Germany. The potential for data centre growth here is still huge, whereas in the Netherlands that development started ten years ago. Europe is also imposing stricter reporting obligations, which may stimulate migration to cloud and hybrid solutions. AI will only increase that demand, although that still must crystallise.”
“FTTH and fibre density, combined with a strong dark-fibre offering, are crucial for the Belgian market. Thanks to the open wholesale model and high metro density, the Belgian fibre network is now available to more than 45 wholesale partners and over 2.4 million premises are already ‘connectable’. For data centres this means easier carrier entry, redundant routes and lower last-mile latency towards enterprise and government loads that will partly remain on-premise.”
“The BDIA sees several important roadblocks. The first is the lack of a clear vision. That remains essential: we need to develop a shared vision. That vision can only be credible if there is also insight into the industry itself and the value this sector represents for society. Think of the contribution to the country’s digital GDP, employment, and broader economic support. This is often insufficiently visible at present, even though the sector indirectly supports a great many people and important activities. We need to tell this story clearly and convincingly so that a vision can be developed on that basis. That would be of great added value to all companies in the sector. The sector’s importance must be clear to all stakeholders, after which an appropriate regulatory framework can follow. A fast-track approach or different way of working could be introduced to underline the urgency and realise important projects more quickly.”
“Another point concerns the availability of skilled workers. Technical education is still too often neglected in training programmes. We are trying to change that. Together with Syntra, we have launched a training pathway for data centre technicians. It requires a broad palette of knowledge that is currently scarcely available on the labour market. This is not just a training initiative but ties in with Belgium’s broader digital ambition. Without a structural influx of technical talent, digital sovereignty will remain difficult. To facilitate and support the sector’s growth, we must ensure a structural pipeline of technical talent. Today we see data centres mainly poaching staff from each other, while hardly any new talent being added. Training is the only way ahead, even if it is a long road. However, this does also contribute to Belgium’s position in an international context. Finally, when I talk to investors, I notice that Belgium is not mentioned in their top three. The country struggles to market itself effectively. It is therefore crucial to highlight Belgium’s advantages and opportunities more clearly. There are, for example, tax incentives, but they are not emphasised enough.”
A positive role
Jean Paul Rooseleer: “That’s why we shouldn’t only talk to specialist trade magazines but also reach out more broadly: via weekend magazines supplements, social media, or even platforms that appeal to young people. One of the interviews R&M Belgium gave was about the rollout of the data centre for the supercomputer in Ghent. During the Covid period, this supercomputer played a crucial role. Supercomputers worldwide were linked, and this helped vaccines against the coronavirus to be developed much faster. Thanks to the enormous computing power and simulations the supercomputer enabled, researchers were able to accelerate their work. That’s a tangible example that really resonates with people. At the same time, it’s good to make people aware of how they themselves have an effect on data centres and the Internet. I recently read that in a certain country people were urged to delete old photos from their mobile phones because data centre capacity and energy consumption were under pressure. The average user really doesn’t consider such consequences.”
“The link between the user and the underlying infrastructure is often completely lost today. Everyone thinks ‘the internet’ or ‘the cloud’ just floats in the air, but very concrete physical infrastructure and a huge amount of energy are needed to make this possible. End users should also be involved in that discussion.”
“Take AI and the many data centres being built for it. Many people are quick to think: AI is going to take my job, soon I’ll be stuck at home unemployed. That does not create enthusiasm for digitisation; on the contrary, it breeds mistrust and aversion. Here, too, there is an opportunity for the media and the sector to play a positive role and bring nuance.”
Transparent and insightful
Friso Haringsma: “Our aim is also to make the sector transparent and understandable for governments, investors, and suppliers. BDIA regularly publishes reports such as ‘The State of the Belgian Digital Infrastructure/Data Centers’ and ‘Digital Infrastructure Guides’. These include an overview of DC locations, operators and suppliers and are intended to give investors, government, and customers a solid reference. In this way we provide transparency about market data and our ecosystem. A new edition will be published soon.
“Every decision starts with reliable data. Some of the analyses we occasionally see—even from larger players—make me wonder what they are based on. They often assume enormous business cases that are unfeasible from the outset, whereas you can perfectly well start small. We approach this from our knowledge of the sector. That yields insights and figures you can have greater confidence in. If you start combining them, you’ll get a much better reflection of reality and of the future.”
Stability is crucial
Jean Paul Rooseleer: “We are currently facing macro-economic conditions that create instability, especially for investors and particularly in Europe. That’s holding back people who want to invest—there’s no real certainty that there will be a return on investment. Looking at Defence in Europe, I see more cooperation: efforts and investments are spread across countries, and we’re trying to keep as much as possible within Europe, so our companies benefit. In the field of digitisation and data centres, there should also be a strong push to bring European partners closer together so the benefits flow directly back to the sector and the population.”
“The media may exclaim that the data centre world is ‘hot’, but that changes nothing. Only when people truly begin to experience the benefits do you get broader support and backing. I know efforts are being made, but things often move slowly in Belgium, as they also move slowly in Europe. You need to get 28 parties to agree, and that doesn’t happen automatically. Sometimes more boldness would be welcome—especially regarding crucial digital sovereignty. The economic advantages of European cooperation are now clear. It’s positive that attention is being paid to this. However, we’re also seeing a great deal of lobbying and political infighting. When discussions are held with American commercial parties instead of European ones, it means there is still a lot of work to be done.”
“Stability is crucial: it brings more financing into the sector. There are certainly opportunities within Europe to get projects off the ground, but the reality is complicated. I hope we will join forces more, so that we can realise these ambitions. In the short term we could reap the benefits while at the same time reducing dependence on, for example, America. That way we can determine our own course—which would be good for Europe and for everyone who lives here.”
“Here, too, it all comes down to a long-term vision as the basis for policy. Things simply don’t change in six months. In many European countries, governments are currently frequently right now, which means policy is rarely consistent. Parties need to venture beyond their short term in office and stop focusing on popular measures. There are too few politicians setting out a true long-term strategy. I see the same phenomenon within organisations: people are increasingly focused on the short term. The pressure to make quick profits and pay the bills is high. Yet as a sector we always have to think in longer horizons by definition. It would be good if we created a framework that has room for both the short term and the next ten, twenty, thirty years. Unfortunately, the daily news cycle still tends to dominate. Even so, I am not a pessimist. On the contrary. Developments always come in waves, and at a certain point things will turn out right again!”
