The Belgian Telenet Holding NV local telecommunications company will spend $1,200m to launch its broad-band telephone and multimedia network in the north of Belgium next year. Telenet’s backers, which include US West Inc and Belgium’s Flemish regional investment company, GIMV, hope to recoup some of their investments via a stock exchange listing in the next five years. Telenet will base its broadband, interactive services on the Flanders cable television network. Services will include video- on-demand, television broadcasts, data transmission and Internet access. Belgium is heavily cabled, with 95% of homes already already covered.
