The Walloon Government is taking a new step in the fight against white zones. This Thursday 10 September, it approved the launch of a new “Last Mile” call for projects with a maximum budget of €3 million. Its objective: to connect more than 1,500 additional households by 30 September 2028.
Over four years, Wallonia has significantly reduced the digital divide. The actions carried out under Digital Wallonia have led to a significant reduction in white zones over several years, driven by the combined effect of the three previous Last Mile calls for projects, which improved connectivity for nearly 60,000 households, the Tax On Pylons agreements, and enhanced monitoring by the Digital Agency.
The number of households in white zones thus fell from nearly 120,000 in June 2022 to 22,000 in June 2026, or more than 1.35% of Walloon households.
Acting where the needs are greatest
The new call will primarily target the hardest-to-connect areas, particularly households with no fixed solution or a speed below 30 Mbps. The aim is to concentrate public funds where the needs are greatest, in areas where operators do not invest spontaneously and where residents remain disadvantaged by insufficient digital access.
“We refuse a two-speed digital Wallonia. Where the market provides no answer, Wallonia must act. Our ambition is to allow the last households concerned to also gain access to high-performance connectivity,” emphasises Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Vice-President and Minister for Digital Affairs.
A targeted and effective approach
Because every public euro must deliver a concrete result, the Government will ensure that the selected projects have a sufficient impact in terms of connected households. If the applications submitted do not meet the intended objectives, it reserves the right not to select any project.
The call for projects will be launched on 10 September. Applications may be submitted until 15 October, after which the selected projects will be validated by the Walloon Government.
Pierre-Yves Jeholet concludes: « With this new “Last Mile” call, the Walloon Government intends to continue the momentum built up in recent years to guarantee access to high-speed broadband across the entire territory, including in the hardest-to-cover areas. An essential ambition to further reduce the digital divide and ensure that where someone lives is never a barrier to accessing services, economic opportunities and everyday digital uses.»