Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan and BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the 2018 Mobile World Congress, one of the world's largest mobile technology events organized by the GSM Operators Association (GSMA).
The congress, held in Barcelona from February 26 to March 1, 2018, and the Ministers' Program conducted within this scope were attended by Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan, BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, and a delegation consisting of BTK Board Members.
The Ministers' Program was shaped around three main themes: "Creating a Better Future," "Modernizing Policy for the Digital Age," and "Unlocking the Power of Mobile." The program was attended by high-level representatives from national ministries including telecommunications, finance, and health; telecommunications regulatory authorities, data protection authorities, and central banks, selected international organizations and intergovernmental bodies, as well as high-level regulatory representatives from the mobile services industry, including mobile operators and other service providers.
Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan attended the Protocol Agreement Signing Ceremony between the Directorate General of Communications and the ONF (Open Networking Foundation) within the scope of the Mobile World Congress. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Arslan said, "We launched our broadband strategy in Turkey in 2017. This agreement is part of our broadband strategy. Thanks to this, 5G technologies will be used in improving services for security and emergencies, and Turkey will be among the leading countries in this regard. Our goal is to transition to 5G by 2020 and not stop there, but to lead this effort, including the determination of standards."
BTK President Sayan participated in the Roundtable Meeting organized jointly by GSMA and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), where topics such as spectrum, net neutrality, and joint investment were discussed, as well as the "Towards 5G" Roundtable Meeting organized by GSMA, which brought together regulatory authorities from various countries, and shared his views.
Throughout the event, Sayan visited the stands of leading producers and operators in the sector, held meetings with top executives, and obtained information on developments in the industry and mobile sector. Additionally, he met with senior management from ICANN and Google to exchange ideas on internet and development topics.
Additionally, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan, BTK President Sayan, and board members visited the stands of Aselsan, Turkcell, and Vestel to receive information from the authorities.