15.11.2017
The first meeting of the 5GTR Forum Meeting and Working Groups Workshop was held. Chairman Sayan said, "When we set out on this path, we set our goal not as 5G, but as 5G and Beyond."
At the "5GTR Forum Meeting and Working Group Workshop" held at the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, approximately 200 participants, members of the 5GTR Forum consisting of academics, relevant public institutions, operators, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and suppliers, came together. With the workshop, studies were initiated and important steps were taken within the framework of the vision to develop domestic/national products, services, and technologies that will take place in national and international markets in next-generation communication systems such as 5G and beyond.
BTK Chairman Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, who spoke at the opening of the all-day workshop, provided information on the roadmap that Turkey should follow in this regard. Emphasizing that the working groups should ponder long-term planning and the country's 5G and Beyond strategy, Sayan said, "at the same time, determining priority issues and starting to produce projects is of great importance. In this context, of course, a great task falls on us at BTK and our coordinators who have already been designated."
A New World is Being Built
Defining 5G with the words "A world is being built that will change all the habits we have acquired so far," Sayan said, "Humanity has experienced many changes and transformations in the depths of history. However, none of them were comparable in scale and magnitude to the point of change we have reached today. From the construction of steamships, the discovery of electricity, going to space, and the invention of the computer, we have come to today. We have seen a leap and change that will not be seen in 10,000 years of human history squeezed into a 100-year period. Today, as we advance towards 5G technologies, I must say that a new era is about to begin," drawing attention to the importance of 5G technology.
Our Goal is Not 5G, but 5G and Beyond
Expressing that 5G will not settle in all at once nor end suddenly, Chairman Sayan continued his speech as follows: "When we set out on this path, we set our goal not as 5G, but as '5G and Beyond.' In the communication sector now, we are heading towards a long-term, heterogeneous, and flexible structure where new technologies continuously dominate others and different networks work together. Therefore, rather than 5G, which targets its first standards and commercial uses in 2020, we accept as our goal and success criterion the creation of an information and communication technology ecosystem extending from 4.5G networks and beyond."
Emphasizing that 5G is also important for vertical sectors such as transportation, energy, and urbanism, Sayan said, "How important and critical this situation is is now well known to all 5GTR Forum stakeholders. We will continue to work to create the necessary awareness among those who are not 5GTR Forum stakeholders. We have started to discuss the change that 5G will create in vertical sectors through special events."
I Invite Everyone to Participate in This Process
Underlining the 2023 targets set to become one of the top 10 economies, Chairman Sayan said, "Our country's geostrategic and geopolitical position are great driving forces pushing us towards development. We are in a state of absolute progress. The experience we lived through on July 15 also ensured that the plans made against us are perceived more clearly and explicitly by each and every one of our citizens. Therefore, we are on a path where we must put into the field whatever accumulation we have, whatever experience we possess, whatever our lungs allow us to run, and everything accumulated in the DNA codes of the Anatolian people."
Chairman Sayan made the following call: "In the struggle for existence, we also carry the responsibility of future generations on our shoulders. At this point, I say: 'Come, let's include everyone from our sector, our universities, whoever is not here, in this process. Let's join hands. Let's cooperate to carry our country into the future. This is our debt to our country, our people, our homeland, and our future.'"
Emphasizing that believing in goals is the beginning of realizing them, Sayan gave examples from the world, saying that difficulties can be overcome, and added: "We can give hundreds of examples. Briefly, if you believe, this is half the success. We will work for the other half."
With 5G, There is an Environment Where Those Who Do Not Change Will Lose
Speaking about how information and communication technologies add speed and ease to ways of doing business, Sayan said, "We have made significant progress in this sense. However, in the final analysis, the basic assumptions of our work have not changed. With 5G, however, there is now an environment where sectors will undergo a paradigm shift, and those who do not will lose. 5G and Beyond will be one of the most fundamental components of the Industry 4.0 concept. While all industries pass through a new turning point, it will be beneficial to keep in mind topics such as artificial intelligence and blockchain that will advance with 5G and Beyond technologies. We are now faced not only with ease or speed, but with changes in understanding. We see the most important example of this in vehicles that can drive themselves and connect to other vehicles or transportation infrastructure. The automotive sector discusses its change and transformation through 4 key concepts. These words are connectivity vehicle, shared vehicle, autonomous driving, and electric. We see that information and communication technologies are at the center of the first two of these four concepts, and the most important component of the other. Therefore, we welcome the participation of automotive sector representatives in the 5GTR Forum and wish for their collaborations to increase."
Everyone Can Participate in 5G and Beyond Studies
After the opening program and presentations, information was given to the participants at the 5GTR Forum meeting about the studies, activities, and Forum organizational structure carried out after the establishment of the 5GTR Forum.
In line with the goal of producing domestic and national, high value-added next-generation mobile communication products, services, and technologies in the 5GTR Forum studies, national and international collaborations to achieve efficient progress in a short time;
At the end of the workshop, BTK Deputy Chairman Rıdvan Kahveci, BTK TED Chairman Ramazan Yılmaz, NETAŞ R&D and Strategy Director Rıza Durucasugil, HAVELSAN Strategic R&D, System Lead Engineer Ali Telli, and ASELSAN Project Leader Elif Tepeli provided information on the topics discussed within the scope of the workshop.