BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, speaking at the 5G and Vertical Sectors Workshop, said, “When we set out on this path, we set our goal not just as 5G, but as 5G and beyond.”
The 5G and Vertical Sectors Workshop was held at the BTK headquarters. Participants included BTK Board members Musa Şahin and Figen Kılıç, members of the 5GTR Forum, civil society organizations, IT experts, relevant officials from public institutions, and sector representatives.
WE ARE WORKING TO BE ONE OF THE COUNTRIES PRODUCING DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL PRODUCTS
Reminding that they gathered to discuss not only current technologies but also those that will shape our future, Sayan stated, “As known, under the 2023 vision, high value-added innovative studies are being conducted in Turkey. As the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, we are working with sector stakeholders to closely follow the innovations brought by the age in technology and to become one of the countries producing domestic and national products.”
OUR 5G ROADMAP IS READY
Noting that the electronic communications sector is witnessing a race unprecedented in any field worldwide, Sayan said: “While South Korea and Japan, hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics, will use ultra-fast 5G technology, we see that the US is responding with systems we can call 4.9 and labeling them as pre-standard 5G examples. On the other hand, we see that Europe, Russia, China, and Gulf countries are working with all their might to lead in this race. Governments and regulatory bodies around the world are preparing national or regional 5G transition roadmaps. We are also working to position our country in this race and to develop partnerships with different countries.”
5GTR FORUM AND HTK HAVE A MAJOR ROLE
Emphasizing how important 5G is in market dominance, Sayan said, “It is projected that by the end of 2023, the number of 5G network subscribers will reach approximately 1 billion, and global mobile data traffic will exceed 100 exabytes per month. In the 2020s, 5G-supporting smartphones are expected to create a new growth wave in devices. On the other hand, it is expected that 49% of all subscriptions in the US will be 5G by 2025, and 245 million 5G connections will be realized in Europe. The speed and convenience that information and communication technologies bring to business life are evident. However, with 5G, sectors will undergo a paradigm shift, and those who do not will lose. We see that ease or speed is being replaced by changes in understanding. In this context, I wholeheartedly believe that we need to work together sacrificially to exist in the information and technology race. Initiatives such as the 5GTR Forum, launched under the initiative of our Ministry and BTK, and the Communications Technologies Cluster, whose foundations were laid with OSTİM, have a major role to play. We expect these formations not only to connect us with 5G technology through domestic and national means, but also to create a sustainable ecosystem that will continue in future generations, which we call ‘5G and Beyond’ in the longer term. With all stakeholders guiding and illuminating these formations, we see that very fruitful works will be carried out on behalf of our country.”
WE HAVE SIGNED IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
Sayan listed the agreements and memorandums reached on the path to 5G and beyond as follows: “We signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in the fall of 2015. Additionally, we deepened our cooperation by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Communications Commission in May 2016 and concretized it with the workshop we held on the same day. On the other hand, we organized a joint workshop with Japan in Ankara last January. Last November, the 5GTR Forum signed memorandums of understanding with the 5G Forum, the South Korean counterpart platform, and the 5GMF, the Japanese counterpart platform. Following this, we will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with other prominent national and international 5G platforms in other regions of the world, such as 5G Americas.”
OUR GOAL IS NOT 5G, BUT 5G AND BEYOND
Explaining that they set their goals not as 5G but as 5G and beyond when they set out, Sayan said, “In the communications sector, we are now moving towards a long-term, heterogeneous, and flexible structure where new technologies are constantly built upon others and different networks work together. Therefore, we accept as our goal and success criterion not 5G, which targets first standards and commercial uses in 2020, but creating an information and communication technologies ecosystem extending further starting from 4.5G networks. Today, we are together to evaluate two important events. Firstly, our 5G and Vertical Sectors Report will be presented to your valuable opinions on what kind of developments may occur in vertical sectors such as energy, automotive, and health in 5G and beyond. With this report, we are taking a step on the path to 5G and beyond. Another issue is to bring together the Service and Application Group continuing its work under the 5GTR Forum and vertical sector representatives to shape our country's future together. At the end of this workshop, we expect a significant portion of the companies and civil society organizations we meet here for the first time today to become members of the 5GTR Forum.”
Sayan concluded his speech by wishing that the workshop would provide a start for new collaborations.
At the workshop, the launch of the 5G and Vertical Sectors Report and open Sub-Working Group meetings of the 5GTR Forum Service and Application Group for all participants were held.