Belgium: BASE rolls out TV and Internet offering
June 3, 2024
BASE, the Belgian telco which has previously focused on its mobile offering, has added a fixed Internet offer (BASE Internet) and a TV offer (BASE TV) to its existing mobile offering (BASE mobile).
With BASE Internet, customers can choose between a limited or an unlimited offer. With limited Internet, BASE customers who surf moderately receive 300 GB of data per month and enjoy download speeds of 50 Mbps and upload speeds of 5 Mbps. With the unlimited offer, for those with greater needs such as families, there is no volume limit, and download speeds of 200 Mbps and upload speeds of 20 Mbps are available.
For television, BASE TV offers the option of watching programmes via the BASE TV box or the BASE TV app. Custmers can also opt for the BASE TV app, which can be used in the same way as all conventional streaming apps (smartphone, tablet, TV screen via Chromecast, Apple TV, smart TV, etc.).
BASE TV offers 28 French-language and 28 Dutch-language channels. Customers can choose the language version they prefer, or combine the two as an option. BASE TV also offers recording (up to 200 hours), replay (36 hours), pause and forward.
The box also offers a simple, one-click access to popular streaming apps (such as Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV +, YouTube, Streamz, Disney+, etc). The box is the smallest box available on the Belgian market (8 cm x 8 cm x 1.8 cm) and does not need to be connected to a coaxial cable: the TV signal passes entirely through BASE Internet.
Lifetime discount
BASE is offering a 10 per cent discount on purchases of two or more products. The discount applies to each product individually. BASE applies this promotion for life.
– if a BASE mobile subscriber (existing or new) only takes BASE Internet, he or she will receive a 10 per cent discount on BASE Internet
– if a BASE mobile subscriber (existing or new) only takes BASE TV, he or she will receive a 10 per cent discount on BASE TV
– if a BASE mobile subscriber (existing or new) takes out BASE Internet and BASE TV, he or she will receive 10 per cent on each of the two products (BASE Internet and BASE TV)
– if a customer who is not a BASE mobile subscriber takes out BASE Internet and BASE TV, he or she will receive 10 per cent on each of the two products (BASE Internet and BASE TV)
Nothing changes for mobile: customers who have their own special offer will continue to benefit from it, and this can be combined with other discounts.
Gérald Demortier, BASE Brand Manager for the Telenet Group, commented: “By adding Internet and TV to our mobile offer, we are now opening a new chapter in the history of BASE. It’s a natural evolution of the brand: by complementing our offer with these new services, we’ll be able to respond to consumer needs even more effectively. With 25 years under our belt this year, and a million mobile customers, we’ve learned that Belgians who are careful about their consumption and their budget are looking for a simple, essential offer providing good value for money. As a challenger in this new market, BASE intends to remain true to its identity. No unnecessary extras: everyone should feel free to choose what he or she really needs: there’s no need for a mobile subscription if this is already paid by the employer, nor a TV subscription if everything is watched online, let alone unlimited Internet if it’s not being used to its full potential. With BASE, we intend to meet all these scenarios, while remaining extremely competitive in terms of price”.
John Porter, CEO of Telenet Group, added: “This new stage in the history of BASE is also a turning point for Telenet Group. We are pursuing a twofold goal with this new offer: extending our geographical coverage with a fixed-line service offer (Internet and TV) in the south of the country, where we were not previously present, and simultaneously offering a complete range of telecoms services throughout the country to customers looking for the best value for money, a market segment to which Telenet Group did not previously offer a solution. Given that it is already well established in both Wallonia and this market segment, the decision to use our BASE brand was an obvious one. In a way, one could say it was our missing link: with our three brands, BASE, Telenet and TADAAM, we aim to complement each other and are now ideally positioned to meet the varied needs of consumers. Everyone can choose the brand and products that suit them best ”.
To be able to offer its fixed services, BASE will rely on two distinct networks, depending on the geographical location of its customers. In Flanders, in 2/3 of the communes of Brussels and in the Botte du Hainaut region of Wallonia, this will be the cable network (hybrid fibre-coax or HFC) of WYRE, the joint venture between Telenet (66.8 per cent) and Fluvius. In Wallonia and the rest of Brussels (6 communes), BASE will rely on the VOO/Orange Belgium cable network (HFC), thanks to the wholesale agreement signed in 2023 giving access to the said network for 15 years.
For the first three months, BASE will offer free installation and activation of the Internet and TV services (after which there will be a charge of €59).