Fifthnet

Thanks to digitization, the use of internet is unmissable in our modern society. To maintain and improve our lifestyle, we need a network that can withstand a lot of data traffic. We believe that this is only possible through fiber optics (fiber). Data traffic is transmitted through light pulses, making it possible that more people can use the internet at the same time. We see it as our mission to contribute to the construction and the expansion of the fiber to the home network in Belgium. In 2017 Circet Benelux, Besix Unitec and Verbraeken Infra joined forces to realize a fiber to the home network. Where Proximus had the ambition of bringing fiber to its customers, it had found in Fifthnet the ideal partner to turn that ambition into reality. The joint venture Fifthnet was born. Since 2020 the project steering, desing and data activities of the three partners are done from our central office in Leuven. During the data part of the process, the data team is responsible for all survey and data related services. This includes looking at all the buildings in a city and decide how they can be connected to the network. When the needed info is gathered, they load it up in the Proximus systems. After this, the designers can start. The design phase consists of two parts. In Global Design we focus on the FEED-IN: we must ensure that data traffic is possible over fiber to certain (feed)points in the deployment zone, using the existing infrastructure as much as possible. It is from these feedpoints that the fiber will be distributed, resulting in a completely new network to be built. This latter part is called Detailed Design. When both teams have done their part, the result is delivered to the construction teams who will execute the plans. Both the data and the design teams are in constant contact with our teams in the field. Since we started, the roll out of the fiber to the home network has already started in 37 cities. We look forward to start in your city soon.