Scarlet 5G: the Proximus network at what price in 2026?

Scarlet is one of the cheapest names on the Belgian market and one of the most misunderstood. People instinctively file it with the discount MVNOs, next to Mobile Vikings or hey!, when it belongs to the Proximus group and rents the best-covered network in the country. The question in the title deserves a straight answer, because it is not the one you expect: Scarlet gives you access to the Proximus infrastructure at a low price, but does not sell its range as 5G.

In other words, two things hide behind the Scarlet label. A network, Proximus's, that decides what you receive. And a brand, Scarlet, that decides what you pay — and what it chooses to highlight. The two do not tell the same story.

Does Scarlet actually offer 5G?

Scarlet does not advertise it. Its mobile page, in July 2026, talks about an "optimal 4G connection" on the Proximus network, and none of its four plans — Red, Berry, Cherry, Hot — puts 5G forward as an argument. It is a point most comparisons forget: the brand markets 4G, not 5G, even though its host network is deploying 5G wherever it can.

This gap is not a detail. If your starting criterion is "I want 5G, guaranteed and highlighted," Scarlet is not the label that promises it to you in black and white. The Proximus infrastructure behind it is 5G-capable; the Scarlet brand positions itself as a rock-bottom 4G offer. We write it plainly rather than let you believe the opposite.

How much does a Scarlet plan cost in 2026?

Four plans, fixed price, no commitment. As of the 24 July 2026 survey, the grid sits on a single axis — data volume — and no price climbs back at month thirteen, because there is no headline promo at Scarlet.

Two details to read before choosing. Out of bundle, data costs €0.60/GB and national calls €0.16/min: on a 5 GB Red, a weekend of streaming quickly swells the bill, so set the volume to your real consumption. EU roaming is included, under the offer's terms. On the other hand, no eSIM for now — Scarlet runs on a physical SIM and advertises eSIM "soon" — and no prepaid card since 2019.

Which network does Scarlet run on?

The Proximus network, without exception. Scarlet is a Proximus group brand and an MVNO that rents its masts entirely; it owns no infrastructure of its own. A Scarlet plan's coverage is therefore, mast for mast, Proximus's.

That is the best news in the file. On the Proximus network, the only cheap labels are Scarlet and Lycamobile; the other Belgian low-cost brands — Mobile Vikings, hey!, Mega, yoin — run on Orange, and BASE or TADAAM on Telenet. Taking Scarlet means buying Proximus coverage at the lowest rate available on that network.

What is the Proximus network behind Scarlet worth?

It is the best covered in the country. BIPT measurements put Proximus ahead on the three metrics that matter: around 65 % outdoor coverage, around 35 % indoors, and speeds up to 136.8 Mbps. For reference, Telenet caps at 90.7 Mbps and Orange at 94.5 Mbps on the same readings.

That leaves the indoor/outdoor gap, true for every Belgian network: 5G carried on the 3.6 GHz band travels poorly through brick and concrete. Whether you are on Scarlet or elsewhere, the coverage on the pavement is not the coverage in the living room, and no marketing map tells you that for you. Check your address before signing.

Is Scarlet cheaper than Proximus direct?

Yes, and the gap is clear for an identical signal. Scarlet Hot gives 50 GB at €18 on the Proximus network, where Proximus charges markedly more for a comparable volume directly. You are not paying for a better network by staying with Proximus: you are paying for a shop, a wider range and a few services. It is up to you to say whether that is worth the difference.

What do you lose by choosing Scarlet?

Three concrete things, to weigh against the euros saved. First, a range cut to four offers: beyond 50 GB, Scarlet has nothing, where Proximus offers unlimited. Second, the absence of eSIM in July 2026, a brake if you want to activate a line without waiting for a physical card. Third, 5G that is not put forward: if you want it advertised and guaranteed, it is not Scarlet's argument.

Against that, you lose nothing on the essentials: the coverage is Proximus's, texts are unlimited, EU roaming is included, and the lack of commitment keeps the door open. For a settled, urban use on a tight budget, the balance tips towards Scarlet.

Scarlet or another low-cost operator?

It depends on the network your address receives and on what you want to advertise. If you insist on explicitly advertised 5G at a low price, DIGI puts forward 60 GB at €9 on its own network topped up with Proximus roaming, and an Orange MVNO like hey! Telecom sells 50 GB at €14. Scarlet remains the cheapest ticket on the Proximus network, but its argument is price and coverage, not 5G.

The reasoning does not change: the network first, the price second. A plan at €8 on a network that does not reach your home is still €8 wasted; once Proximus coverage is checked at your address, Scarlet is hard to beat on price.

Should you choose Scarlet?

Choose Scarlet if your address is well covered by Proximus, if 4G use is enough for you and if you are after the lowest price on that network. In that case, 50 GB at €18 with no commitment, EU roaming included, and the best coverage in the country behind it, is a solid offer. If you want advertised 5G, an immediate eSIM or unlimited data, look elsewhere.

The right reflex stays the same as for any plan: the network first, the price second. To place Scarlet against the other offers that hold up on real price, our 5G plans ranking lines them up on the month-thirteen price, host network beside every row. And to weigh them criterion by criterion, the comparison table puts them side by side.

Sources: BIPT (mobile coverage and speeds in Belgium, national comparison 2025); Scarlet Belgium (mobile plan grid and terms, survey of 24 July 2026); Selectra/CallMePower price survey, July 2026; Astel.