Information Technologies and Communication Authority hosted the “5G Valley Open Test Field Test Infrastructure Signing Ceremony and 5G and Beyond White Paper Launch” meeting, which is an important step on the path to transitioning to 5G.
The program held at the Information Technologies and Communication Authority Central Campus was attended by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mehmet Cahit Turhan, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, BTK Deputy President Rıdvan Kahveci, Board Members, and representatives from the sector.
Expressing his joy at taking another step regarding 5G, Deputy Minister Sayan began his speech with the words, “About 11 months ago, our operators Turkcell, Turk Telekom, and Vodafone, along with our universities METU, Hacettepe, and Bilkent, put their hands under the stone and we signed our cooperation protocol for the 5G Valley. Today, we have come together as the 5G Valley parties with the supplier companies that promised us support that day and shared the joy of the 5G Valley. Valuable companies have shown that they are ready to support the 5G Valley with their equipment and software. We thank each one individually.”
“Our Companies Offer Great Opportunities”
Stating that the systems to be established in the 5G Valley by these valuable companies will offer unique opportunities to researchers and students working in these areas, Sayan said, “Netaş’s Internet of Things platform offers a perfect opportunity especially for those who want to develop services and applications for vertical sectors. On the other hand, ULAK Communication Inc., one of our country’s youngest and most promising companies, our pride and joy, is taking a very important step for our country by installing the systems they have developed and are developing in the 5G Valley, carrying Turkey to 5G with domestic and national capabilities. Another domestic hope, İ2İ Systems, is also setting an important example for our students, academics, and startups with Vadicell to be installed in the 5G Valley. Finally, the support that Spark Measurement Technologies will provide to the valley is an opportunity not to be missed for our researchers.”
Emphasizing that the companies putting their hands under the stone for 5G studies have signed an important work, Sayan said, “Now it’s the turn of the parties to use these opportunities opened by our companies to the fullest extent. That is, us. That is, you. I am making an open call to the entire ICT ecosystem from here. The 5G Valley is open for use by everyone who will develop 5G and go beyond it. In the 5G Valley, not only antennas and core networks will be developed. The 5G Valley will be the place where smart agriculture, smart cities, health solutions, entertainment solutions are developed, where new products touching every area of life are planned, designed, and developed. Our goal is to develop products and services from the 5G Valley that can compete with tech giants in the world market.”
“ As the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and BTK, that is, as our country’s policy-making and regulatory institutions, we have rolled up our sleeves to lead technology and be among the pioneering countries in technology,” said Sayan, adding, “In line with the goal of being one of the countries that transitions to Turkey’s 5G mobile communication technology with the highest possible levels of domestic and national rates and as early as possible, we continue our work with the 5GTR Forum. The second important step we will take today will be with the 5G and Beyond White Paper prepared with the contributions of our entire ecosystem under the 5GTR Forum. The roadmap to carry Turkey to 5G and beyond has been outlined in the White Paper. The 5GTR Forum members wrote the topics Turkey should prioritize, what is currently being done for domestic and national capabilities, and what can be done in the future in the White Paper. The White Paper, cooked in the 4 working groups of the 5GTR Forum, is the product of a long and arduous work. Our colleagues who brainstormed on the chapters, paragraphs, and sentences of the book in heated meetings were actually thinking about Turkey’s priorities. As the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, we are proud to facilitate this White Paper that emerged as a reward for all this effort.”
We are ready to develop technology with the guidance of the White Paper, in the ecosystem formed by the 5GTR Forum, and with the opportunities offered by the 5G Valley.
Minister Turhan: We Should Be Among the Countries Determining 5G Standards
Emphasizing that the organized program is an important step that will shape the future of our country, Mehmet Cahit Turhan said, “In line with the issues determined by our President, we are working to take our place among the leading countries in every field. For this, our government has taken many steps. In 16 years, the communication infrastructure has gone beyond just providing connection and started serving in many areas. No matter what technology comes, we cannot offer it to citizens without a high infrastructure. We must implement all these advanced infrastructures without delay. For this, we need to solve the sector’s problems. In the first stage of bringing 5G into commercial use, a network installation that will also form the 5G infrastructure was made. Thanks to projects like ULAK that have been implemented, we aim to establish an infrastructure even in rural areas in a universal sense. We plan to increase this ratio over time. It is essential that we accelerate R&D studies by also determining the standards of 5G and enter among the pioneering countries.”
Following the speeches, the signing ceremony was held where all parties came together. Presentations on 5G studies were also made at the program.