Turkey’s investments in the communication sector continue at full speed. Fiber and 5G are among the topics that do not fall off the agenda in this area. While everyone is wondering when these two standards will become widespread and open to the use of large masses, Turkcell Deputy General Manager for Network Technologies Gediz Sezgin made evaluations about the future of communication technologies.
Turkcell wants to use domestic and national technologies in its 5G investments
Gediz Sezgin, Turkcell’s Executive Vice President of Network Technologiesevaluated the agenda for the future of communication technologies in the world and in Turkey. Providing information about Turkcell’s ongoing R&D activities and infrastructure investments, Sezgin drew attention to the importance of the development and use of domestic technologies in the field of new generation communication in Turkey.
Stating that the priority should be fiber infrastructure in the transition to digitalization with new generation technologies, Sezgin said that they expect the common infrastructure in fiber to be completed as soon as possible as a strategic step.
Gediz Sezgin“Fiber infrastructure, which is the artery of new technologies, is not sufficient in our country. We support the idea of common infrastructure to accelerate fiber infrastructure and we are ready to take the responsibility. Our President has clearly stated on different occasions that it is not possible to switch to 5G without establishing a domestic 5G technology infrastructure and reaching a high localization rate.
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Therefore, we think that the transition to 5G before the joint fiber infrastructure is completed will also disrupt domestic technology development and increase the economic burden.”
“Fiber infrastructure, the highway of advanced technologies”
Deputy General Manager Gediz SezginPointing out the technological development, acceleration of digitalization and the value that fiber infrastructure adds to the economy in our country, he said:
“Fiber infrastructure is the highway for advanced technologies such as 5G. Before completing these roads, putting the most technological automobile on this road and expecting it to contribute to industrial production here means energy loss for both the vehicle, the user and the road. The transition to 5G will also be easier when steps are taken to accelerate the investment in fiber in the first place.
If joint investment in infrastructure accelerates, all players in the superstructure will concentrate more on innovative products and services. Thus, we can aim to produce more value for our individual and corporate customers by ensuring that the energy in our sector is reflected in products and services. In this way, the digitalization process of our country will also accelerate.”
“We are among the top 3 in the world with our correct prediction in the 4.5G process”
Gediz Sezgin noted that Turkcell made significant contributions to digitalization in Turkey thanks to its predictive strategy in the 4.5G tender held in 2015. Sezgin said, “As Turkcell, we took the widest spectrum band in the 4.5G tender 6 years ago, by being predictive for the future. This was also the widest 4.5G frequency band in Europe.
Thanks to our correct strategy, we are the only operator in Turkey, the first in Europe, and one of the three operators to offer the highest 4.5G speeds in the world, with a speed of 1.6 Gbps. At the moment, we can provide a significant part of the new usage scenarios with 4.5G,” he said.
5D approach to 5G
Sezgin stated that they believe that a strategic issue that will have a very high financial impact on our country, such as the transition to 5G, should be analyzed comprehensively, not with a single dimension, but with all its dimensions.
“As Turkcell, we consider the 5 truths that we consider indispensable about 5G, with the ‘5D necessary for 5G’ approach. In terms of Turkey’s technological and economic benefits, we attach importance to the formation of a 5G transition plan ‘With the Right Technology, the Right Infrastructure, the Right Area, the Right Time and the Right Cost’.
5G is essential for industries more than individual use
Sezgin continued his words as follows: “One of the most important points about 5G is that this technology will offer an advantage for businesses operating primarily in the industrial field rather than individuals. However, we still see that, according to the May 2022 report of the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA); 60 percent of the mobile networks used in vertical sectors provide service over 4.5G. Currently, the needs of end users can be easily met with 4.5G in Turkey. In addition, the number of 5G compatible devices owned by users in Turkey is very limited, as is the case in the world at the moment.”
Increasing use cases and testing areas is the best way to prepare for 5G
Emphasizing that 5G should be completed step by step by completing preparations in every field, Gediz Sezgin said: “The first step in this is the implementation of the right pilot application examples. Therefore, first of all, the trial permissions and usage areas of 5G; For example, we attach great importance to the discovery of airports, central intersections, organized industrial zones, stadiums, event areas and even some smart city applications.
Since 5G is an industrial technology rather than an individual one, businesses also need to be prepared for it with infrastructure and usage scenarios. Starting with the regional 5G trial permits and multiplying the examples and methods here will contribute to the rapid progress of the process.
For this purpose, 5G pilot applications should be implemented in order to prepare the corporate ecosystem and ensure interaction with vertical sectors. Thus, it is of great importance to complete the steps such as the interoperability of 4.5G and 5G, which applications can work more efficiently with 4.5G and which applications with 5G, and the mental preparation of individual users for this.”
We continue to work for 5G in the international arena.
Sezgin reminded that they closely followed the developments in the world in 5G, contributed to international commissions and joint studies in this field, and thus led the way; “As Turkcell, we have been working intensively for 5 years for the technological integration and localization of 5G.
We are also leading the way in 5G in terms of pilot applications we have developed with our high localization rates and R&D power in the field of technology. We continue our cooperation for the development of the domestic and national ecosystem in technology. In addition, we contribute by taking an active role in the creation of 5G standards in important authorities and large organizations around the world.
The rate of virtualization in the Turkcell network is 70%.
Sezgin pointed out that one of the important topics in the transition to 5G is virtualization; He emphasized that the virtualization rate in Turkcell’s core network has exceeded 70 percent and that the virtualization process has been initiated in the radio network. “Thanks to all these infrastructure works and investments, we will be able to be ready for 5G easily when the 5 correct steps are completed for our country,” he said.
5D necessary for 5G
- The right technology: Within the scope of our country’s National Technology Move targets, we must switch to 5G with the ecosystem that develops domestic 5G technology.
- The right infrastructure: For the efficient use of the country’s resources, we must complete the common fiber infrastructure step and move on to 5G.
- In the right area: In order to increase the industrial vertical applications where 5G technology will show its capabilities the most, we should start with regional 5G trial permits and increase the examples and methods.
- Right time: In this process, in which seeds have been planted for the creation of local and national ecosystems with different projects since 2017, if the product is tried to be harvested before it matures, the positive momentum that Turkey can gain in the field of new technologies may turn into negative, causing the distance between us in the global arena to widen. There is no way we can lag behind in this regard.
- At the right cost: The maturation of domestic technologies and the ‘advanced’ state of technology in the global arena will provide advantages to the national economy in many ways in terms of transition costs to 5G.