Turkey expects 5G to transform its digital infrastructure, boosting mobile internet speeds at least tenfold

Turkey will hold its long-awaited 5G spectrum tender on Oct. 16, with commercial services set to begin in April 2026, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced.  (Link in Turkish)

The tender, being held by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), will allocate 400 megahertz of spectrum across 11 frequency packages, with a minimum total value of $2.125 billion, Uraloğlu said. Only operators already licensed for GSM, IMT-2000/UMTS or IMT services in Turkey will be eligible to bid.(Here’s a follow-up link and the minister announced that the tender to realized on August 2025)

Companies will be able to pay license fees in three installments, while bidding documents will cost 1 million YTL (around $24,000). The tender will take place at BTK headquarters in Ankara. Bids can be submitted starting Oct. 9, with the final deadline set for 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 16.

Operators required to pay 5% of annual revenue to BTK

Uraloğlu added operators will begin rolling out 5G on April 1, 2026, under licenses valid until Dec. 31, 2042. Starting in 2029, companies will be required to pay 5% of their annual revenue to BTK.

Turkey expects 5G to transform its digital infrastructure, boosting mobile internet speeds at least tenfold and enabling advanced industrial applications through machine-to-machine communication, the minister claimed.

Let me add that the government is also imposing local production requirements, mandating that up to 60% of 5G equipment be locally made and 30% be nationally developed products. “This will both reduce foreign dependency and encourage domestic manufacturing,” Uraloğlu noted.