ANKARA

Türkiye will hold a tender this year for 5G infrastructure, aiming to launch the next-generation mobile network in 2026, according to the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.

The rollout is expected to significantly strengthen Türkiye’s digital infrastructure by enabling higher data speeds, lower latency, and expanded capacity.

A presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 16 officially kicked off the tender process, with the announcement expected in September or October.

Türkiye is planning to make significant moves in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, according to a report by the country’s Information and Communications Technology Authority (BTK).

The switch to 5G will empower emerging technologies such as virtual reality applications, autonomous vehicles, and smart manufacturing, while enhancing cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) systems in Türkiye.

5G will also bring higher Internet speeds, BTK said, pointing to lab testing conducted last year showing a speed of 7.5 gigabits per second was achieved using 5G, while the Internet speed on actual networks was 4.7 gigabits per second.

The high-capacity 5G will allow for transmission speeds of up to 1 gigabit to more than 20 billion connected devices, while significantly wider bandwidths will enable new capabilities for a variety of industries.

Network carriers will be able to use “slicing” to divide network capacity into segments to allocate different resources according to different needs, while smart devices will be able to communicate uninterruptedly even when moving at speeds of 500 kilometers per hour (310.6 miles per hour) or more.

BTK also noted that 5G will make smart devices more efficient due to the 5G network requiring less battery power, leading to up to 90% energy savings.

As of now, the 5G network is accessible in the stadiums of four major Turkish soccer clubs, the IGA Istanbul Airport, and at around 30 facilities, including the Grand National Assembly in Ankara.