Turkey’s long-awaited 5G spectrum tender drew $2.95 billion in winning bids on Thursday, with the country’s top three mobile operators, Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone Turkey, securing key frequencies needed to launch next-generation wireless services, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The tender, held by Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), offered frequencies in the 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands, which are essential for nationwide 5G deployment.
Turkey currently uses 4.5G networks, introduced in 2016. 5G technology allows for ultrafast data transmission and connects a far greater number of devices simultaneously, a foundation for autonomous vehicles, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence systems.
Turkcell submitted the highest overall bid, paying $429 million for the A1 package in the 700 MHz band and winning four additional blocks in the 3.5 GHz range, for a total of $1.22 billion. Türk Telekom secured the A3 package for $425 million and two 3.5 GHz blocks, with bids totaling $1.1 billion, while Vodafone won the A2 package for $426 million and one 3.5 GHz block, paying $627 million in total.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the tender would generate $2.13 billion in net revenue for the treasury, excluding value-added tax (VAT), and $3.53 billion including VAT, according to Anadolu.
Türkiye’yi iletişimde daha da ileriye taşıyacak 5G ihalemizi bugün gerçekleştirdik.
5G ihalesi kapsamında;
🎯 Asgari değer olarak belirlediğimiz 2 Milyar 125 Milyon ABD Doları hedefimiz KDV ile 3 Milyar 534 Milyon ABD Dolarına ulaştı.
Ekonomimize büyük bir katkı sunacak olan… pic.twitter.com/B2N30icoAE
— Abdulkadir URALOĞLU (@a_uraloglu) October 16, 2025
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, head of the BTK, said at the launch of the tender that the country was witnessing a historic moment.
“With this tender, Turkey is stepping into the 5G era,” Karagözoğlu said, describing the move as not just a technological transition but a strategic turning point for the country.
5G rollout planned for April 2026
Uraloğlu said 5G services are scheduled to go live in April 2026, initially in Turkey’s largest cities of İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Bursa, Kocaeli and Konya before expanding nationwide over the following year.
He said pilot tests have already been conducted at İstanbul Airport, the Turkish Parliament and major football stadiums, achieving download speeds of up to 1.8 gigabits per second — roughly 10 times faster than the current 4.5G technology.
“Once these speeds are achieved, we’ll see major improvements in real-time communications — from remote surgery to smart transportation systems,” Uraloğlu said.
Consumers and devices
According to the ministry the country has about 85 million mobile phone users, but only one in four devices is 5G-compatible. Uraloğlu said consumers would gradually transition as they replace older phones.
Users with 2G-only SIM cards will need to upgrade both their devices and SIMs to access 5G services.
The 5G auction also extended the operators’ existing 2G, 3G and 4G licenses until 2042, ensuring continuity of mobile service during the transition.
Telecom companies are expected to launch multibillion-dollar network upgrades in the coming years as part of Turkey’s digital transformation drive.