Turkish mobile operator and technology leader Turkcell opened on Wednesday a brand new page on its journey, dating back to 1994, as it officially marked the launch of 5G services at an event in Istanbul.
Turkcell, the country's leading mobile phone operator and the largest data center operator, is one of the three companies that, as of Wednesday, began offering faster speeds when sending data, enabling the connection of more devices on the same network and supporting a wider adoption of advanced digital services with the rollout of 5G.
The company held the launch event in the presence of its chief executive, Ali Taha Koç, who, with enthusiasm, celebrated Türkiye's win over Kosovo and its qualification to the 2026 World Cup, and also provided more information about 5G services.
"We are starting the new day with the energy of a tremendous victory. The arrival of 5G into our lives coincided with our going to the World Cup after 24 years," Koç told the audience and press in Istanbul's Zorlu Center.
He went on to thank the national football team and express the pride of Turkcell being its sponsor for 25 years.
With the official start of the 5G era, following the ceremony a day earlier, Turkcell released an ad featuring U.S. basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, which quickly gathered much interest and buzz on social media.
The ad, featuring a Turkish traditional "halay dance," O'Neal's hair transformation, with a direct reference to a hair transplant, for which Türkiye is a popular and renowned destination, was lauded by many social media users.
Moreover, at the launch event, O'Neal, via a videolink, shared a special 5G message. Asked about experience in Türkiye, he said it was "great," mentioning that "people were very hospitable."
He also went to say "Shaq diye, 5G," in reference to the catchy phrase from the ad.
Also, as part of the program, the Togg brand vehicle in Bursa's Gemlik district was also remotely controlled from the Istanbul event venue via 5G. Special promotional tariffs were also announced at the event. Accordingly, for one month, Turkcell customers' current packages will be multiplied by five, and their data allowances will increase fivefold.
Speaking at the event, Koç recalled that they have strengthened their networks through large investments made over the last 10 years, mentioning also the expansion in fiber infrastructure, data centers and increasing their cloud capacities.
Moreover, he emphasized the importance of the "National Technology Initiative" and building domestic infrastructure. "The ecosystem we will build in 5G marks a critical turning point on the road to being the region's technology hub. 5G will truly suit Türkiye," he added.
He also pointed out that data sovereignty is "now a matter of national sovereignty," while elaborating on novelties that come with 5G and special offerings for individual users, homes and the corporate sector.
He also presented Superbox and Superbox GO devices, which enable fiber-speed internet service without cable or installation issues in areas where fiber infrastructure has not yet reached.
"Another innovation is the portable Superbox GO device. Superbox GO enables 5G connectivity regardless of location, phone, and cables. Making connectivity anytime, anywhere a standard, the device has a battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge. With Superbox GO, 32 different devices can connect to 5G simultaneously," he said.
During the 5G launch event, a live connection check-up was simultaneously established with Turkcell teams in all 81 provinces. Employees from seven different regions – Erzurum, Adana, Trabzon, Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and Diyarbakır – conducted a live 5G speed test.
