Turkish firms want more infrastructure amid 4.5G launch

ISTANBUL

An informatics association in Turkey warned on Monday about the need for an extra 450,000 kilometers [280,000 miles] of new substructure investment in the country.

Speaking to reporters, the head of Istanbul-based Turkish Mobile Service Provider Businessmen's Association (MOBILSIAD) Kerem Alkin presented a report on a proposed national broadband plan.

Advanced fourth-generation (4G) telecom services – dubbed 4.5G in Turkey – became operational in the country on April 1.

“A new life has started [for Turkey] after getting 4.5G,” Alkin said, adding the 77-million-strong country’s national broadband plan should include three strategic targets.

He said that one of these targets would be bringing into use the availability of 100Mbit access speeds starting from 30Mbit in every part of the country.

Alkin also said that fiber infrastructure should reach 450,000 kilometers in the country and that copper cable-based broadband infrastructure – which is worn out –should be made from fiber cables.

The MOBILSIAD head added that the national broadband plan should be prepared with broad industry participation from all parties. He said that around 13 countries have already prepared such a strategic plan.

According to the Turkish Competitive Telco Operators’ Association TELKODER, Turkey has already established just over 250,000 kilometers of fiber infrastructure as of the first quarter of 2015.

Turk Telecom, a telecommunication company, already owns nearly 200,000 kilometers of infrastructure.

Founded in 2009 MOBILSIAD has 24 members and consists of representatives of value-added mobile services sector, mainly software companies.

Three mobile operators, Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom, won the rights to the country’s advanced 4.5G network after paying more than €3.9 billion ($4.5 billion) in a tender held by Turkish information and communication authority BTK last August.

According to BTK, 4.5G technology will offer consumers the ability to use new technologies and will provide faster browsing, downloads and uploads.

The total amount of spectrum available will be increased by three times. The rights to the frequencies will last until April 30, 2029.

According to ministry figures released in 2015, the number of 3G subscribers has reached 61.1 million in Turkey.

The figures show that the number of cellphone subscribers reached 72 million while the number of broadband Internet subscribers had increased to reach over 44 million in the second quarter of 2015 from just six million in 2008.