Orange Belgium and Telenet have signed wholesale agreements that will see both operators provide access to each other's fixed networks.

The two commercial agreements will last for 15 years.

These agreements mean that Orange has secured access to Telenet's hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network and its future fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Telenet's HFC network passed 3.4 million homes in the Flanders and Brussels regions in end-September 2022.

Meanwhile, for Telenet it means that will gain access to VOO and Brutele’s HFC network in Wallonia and one-third of Brussels, covering around 1.8 million homes passed, as well as future FTTH deployments.

However, the deals are subject to the completion of Orange's acquisition of VOO. In 2021, Orange agreed on the deal to acquire 75 percent minus one share of VOO from its current owner Nethys for €1.8 billion ($1.96bn).

These latest agreements may pave the way for Orange's proposed acquisition of VOO to be completed, as it could alleviate competition fears.

"It is a major step forward in the deployment of our leading nationwide multi-gigabit strategy. With the acquisition of VOO, we have an ambitious investment plan to upgrade the network and to provide multi-gigabit connectivity to our customers," said Xavier Pichon, CEO of Orange Belgium.

"The agreement on the Telenet network will complement our ability to provide an HFC and FTTH multi-gigabit connectivity value proposition to our customers wherever they live."

Telenet CEO John Porter added: "Through the Agreements, we now have a clear path to wholesale access in the south of Belgium, complementing our existing fixed footprint in Flanders, parts of Brussels, and the boot of Hainaut in Wallonia in addition to our nationwide mobile network coverage. This will enable us to grow into a nationwide FMC player and provide more choice for customers."