Turkey will launch 5G cellular communication in 2026

Turkish authorities plan to hold a tender for the creation of a fifth-generation (5G) cellular network on October 16, with the network launch scheduled for April 1, 2026. This was announced by the head of the Republic's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Reuters reports.

The Minister clarified that mobile operators holding GSM and 4.5G licenses will be eligible to participate in the tender.

After the implementation of 5G, mobile internet speed in Turkey will increase tenfold compared to the current 4.5G standard. According to Uraloğlu, this will open "a new era in communications," significantly improving connection speed and quality. About 85 million people will be able to use the new network.

The starting price for the 5G frequency allocation auction will be 2 billion 125 million dollars. The Minister emphasized that Turkey intends to build a digital future based on its own technologies, focusing on local production and technological independence.