Frequently asked questions about 5G

Find an answer on some of the more common questions about 5G such as: what is it, where and how can you use it?

5G is the 5th generation of mobile technologies. This new technology provides the infrastructure to shape the digital transformation of the future as it favours cloud computing, integration & interoperability of connected devices. Smart cities and a digital society will only be truly possible through the deployment of 5G.

With 5G, you will surf even faster than today! Eventually, it will allow you to surf at a speed up to 10 times faster than existing 4G networks, while experiencing significant improvements in latency, which will allow you to benefit from an even more responsive mobile network and applications.

Every day, more data is consumed (for video, music, gaming, calls, etc.) and more and more devices (smartphones, tablets, sensors, videos cameras, wearables, connected devices, connected car, etc.) are connected simultaneously. 5G is the solution for the future that supports an even larger number of devices without any loss of quality and with a better reliability. 5G is also more green because it uses less energy per data transmitted.

Now, all these benefits will not come at once. We have now started to progressively adapt our network to be able to offer all the benefits 5G will bring, and it will certainly take several years to achieve all those benefits, similarly as it did for the development of previous technologies.

Still, today’s 5G from Proximus will already offer you higher speeds and similar improvements in latency, but not yet the full speed experience that will become eventually possible on 5G.

You will need:

  • 5G network on your mobile: check out our network coverage map.
  • A device that is compatible with the Proximus 5G network: check out our current offer. We are continuously working with suppliers to expand our offer as quickly as possible. There are other 5G devices on the Belgian or foreign market, but at the moment the other devices are not compatible with the Proximus 5G network. 
  • A 5G mobile plan: check out our mobile plans for private or business customers.

For our April launch, you can expect a speed improvement up to 30% (depending on coverage and device) and this percentage will increase in the future.

The latency is the reaction time or the time it takes for data to go from your device to its destination and back.

Thanks to the lower latency 5G offers, you will be able to do everything much faster and without delay, e.g.

  • Watch a live concert in real time from a distance with a hologram of the singer and his band on stage.
  • Virtual reality and latency will offer you a real shopping experience, as if you were visiting the store in person!

Currently, 5G roaming is not available if you are a tourist visiting Belgium, but you can still roam on the Proximus 3G and 4G networks.

You can use 5G abroad. Just check that your device is compatible and that your mobile plan allows it. If not, don't worry, you can still use the 3G & 4G networks when going abroad.

Countries where 5G is available: Arab Emirates, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South-Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom. (*This is an update of February 2022)

At the start, 5G indoor coverage may be limited compared to 4G. However this will improve as during the coming years Proximus will do everything to deploy a sustainable 5G network (indoor & outdoor).

You will need a device that is compatible with the Proximus 5G network. If your device is not 5G compatible, it will not be able to detect the 5G network.

Don't worry: If you have a 5G device, but you're somewhere where there's no 5G coverage, your device can connect to 2G/3G/4G network.

Furthermore, each operator in the world uses other parameters for the 5G network. Therefore, your device needs to be adapted for the country & your operator via a software update provided by the manufacturer of your device. Check out our current offer. We are continuously working with suppliers to expand our offer as quickly as possible.

Yes, you need a specific 5G mobile plan. Check out our mobile plans for private or business customers.

Proximus has always been a pioneer in network development and we want to continue this tradition with the deployment of 5G. We were the first operator in Belgium to test 5G in 2016 and we were the first with a successful outdoor test in 2018.

But the deployment of 5G and its optimisation will take years, it is not something that will happen overnight. We are working hard and investing a lot to offer the 5G experience to a larger public as soon as possible. To see where 5G is already available, check out our network coverage map.

Read more on the impact on the environment and your health and the 5G new generation mobile network.

  • Faster speed: In the future, 5G will eventually allow speeds that go up to 2.94 Gbit per second. It's perfect for playing and downloading ever larger videos, via your smartphone or tablet. But it will also allow you to play online & with other players as smoothly as at home.
  • Greater capacity: We are using more and more mobile data at the same time & there are more and more devices we want to connect. Thanks to 5G, you will be able to connect more devices (Internet of Things, Connected car, etc.) without any cut in connectivity. With 5G, we will also be able to offer priority and higher reliability to certain services, such as for emergency services.
  • Faster reaction times: This is very important when playing online or using your virtual reality glasses. It will image delays, which could make you sick when using the RV.  5G greatly reduces latency, making it ideal for autonomous cars, automatic drones and multiple IoT applications. Thanks to its high capacity, 5G also supports high-definition video and applications based on virtual reality.