How it started
1879 to 1914: the beginning of telephony in Belgium
The Belgian telegraph services installed a telephone line in parliament in 1879, marking the start of telephony in the country. Subsequently, private entrepreneurs applied to operate telephone networks in various Belgian cities, prompting the government to establish a legislative framework to regulate telephony. By 1896, the entire telephone sector came under government ownership.
By 1913, most railway stations and post offices had public telephone booths.
From World War I to 1930: transition to an autonomous public company
During World War I, telecommunications in Belgium came to an abrupt end due to the state-owned company's financial dependence. The damage and dismantling of networks during the war required massive investments. On 19 July 1930, the RTT was founded, the Belgian national telegraph and telephone company. Increasingly, people started using telephones at home.
1930 to World War II: RTT's integration into the state's industrial policy
From Wikipedia’s article on Proximus Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2