Countdown for the launch of 5G services in Türkiye continues and it's only a matter of months before the service becomes available, according to the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.
A long-awaited 5G frequency tender will be launched on Oct. 16, and mobile operators will start providing 5G services in April next year, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Sunday.
Mobile operators currently holding GSM and 4.5G licenses can participate, he said in a written statement, meaning government-controlled Turkcell and Türk Telekom, as well as Vodafone's Turkish unit, can all take part.
"We will hold the 5G tender on Oct. 16 and our mobile operators will start offering 5G services as of April 1, 2026," Uraloğlu said.
"A total of 11 different frequency packages will be allocated to operators through the tender, which will be held at a minimum value of $2.125 billion for a total of 400 MHz of frequency in the 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz frequency bands," he noted.
The tender specifications have been published in the country's Official Gazette, he also said.
Existing mobile network licenses will expire in 2029, and operators' infrastructure and services will be subject to a new authorization regime to be offered under a new tender, he added.
"From this date (2029) on, our operators will be obligated to pay 5% of their annual revenues to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). The authorization period will be valid until Dec. 31, 2042," he said.
The minister also noted that operators can submit their bids starting Oct. 9, 2025, with the application deadline being 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2025. Uraloğlu added that the tender will be held at the BTK headquarters at 10:30 a.m. on the same day.
