Turkcell signed a cooperation agreement with Lynk, the world’s leading satellite communications company, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona. This agreement aims to provide mobile services via satellites as part of Turkcell’s strategy to maintain its leadership in digitalization and technology. We talked about MWC 2024 and Turkcell’s new goals with Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koç.
Are satellite communications and 5.5G coming? We asked Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koç!
Turkcell, together with Lynk, will work on testing SMS, voice and data services directly to phones via satellite. This collaboration aims to provide alternative communication solutions where mobile networks are lacking, especially in rural areas or areas with limited access.
The company aims to serve areas where there is no mobile coverage with NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) solutions. With the development of satellite technologies, the potential to provide uninterrupted communication service to customers located in terrestrial areas or offshore areas increases.
Turkcell plans to offer NTN services via satellite to individual and corporate customers in the coming years and is working with domestic companies in this field, in addition to international collaborations. In addition, it continues its R&D studies by focusing on next generation technologies such as 5G advanced (5.5G) and 6G.
This collaboration aims to contribute to the development of technologies such as ‘Direct-to-Phone’, ‘Direct-to-Device’, ‘Direct-to-Cell’ or ‘Satellite-to-Phone’, which provide direct services to users in regions without mobile coverage. Global coverage and commercialization plans of these technologies are expected to be implemented in the coming period.