Turkey formally launched its long-delayed 5G rollout at a ceremony in Ankara on Tuesday, with commercial service set to begin on April 1 and expand in stages rather than appear nationwide all at once.
Officials have said the new network will be introduced gradually across all 81 provinces, with broader coverage planned over the next two years.
The launch marks the start of commercial use of fifth-generation mobile technology in Turkey after months of preparation following a spectrum tender in October 2025. That auction cleared the way for the country’s three main mobile operators — Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone Turkey — to begin offering 5G services.
Turkey has lagged behind many countries in launching commercial 5G, continuing to rely on its 4.5G network while authorities worked through the bid and licensing processes.
The October auction raised $2.95 billion and distributed frequencies in the 700 megahertz and 3.5 gigahertz bands among the three operators. The tender also extended the broader authorization framework for mobile services through the end of 2042.