The “5G Next Generation Communication Technologies Signing Ceremony,” organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication, and the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, was held in Ankara.
The program, hosted by TÜBİTAK, was attended by Science, Industry and Technology Minister Dr. Faruk Özlü, Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone President Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the Board of the Communication Technologies Cluster Murat Çelik, executives of companies under the HTK umbrella, executives from GSM operators, and numerous guests.
Emphasizing that studies on 5G have been ongoing for a long time, BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan stated, “We have gathered here to take an important step in the ‘End-to-End Domestic and National 5G Communication Network Project,’ which is of great importance for both our national security and our national economy. Today, information technology has become a key sector that acts as a lever in countries' economic growth. It is an indisputable fact that this importance will accelerate in the coming years. We know that the main key to progress in information technologies lies in electronic communication technologies, and the most important element for these technologies is the electronic communication infrastructure. Therefore, we attach great importance to investments that will create added value in the infrastructure of the electronic communication sector.”
Developing Domestic and National Policies is Our Main Goal
Stating that developing Turkey's localization and nationalization policies for the sector is one of the main targets as BTK, Sayan said, “In line with the goal of establishing a domestic and national electronic communication network, our Institution took the first step in 2015 by imposing a localization obligation on mobile operators within the scope of 4.5G authorization. To explain the localization obligation, mobile operators are obliged to meet at least 45% of their investments in hardware and software, which contain high added value for the 4.5G network and electronic communication services, from products certified as domestic goods. As an Institution, we monitor the compliance with this obligation through regular reports and audits.”
President Sayan also touched upon the base station ULAK, developed with domestic resources in May. Underscoring that the recorded progress is an important success story for our country, Sayan said, “Because while there are only 5 countries in the world producing base stations, the ULAK base station has proven that we can produce the most important component of the 4.5G infrastructure end-to-end with our country's engineering capabilities and resources. In addition, not only ULAK but each product of our companies within the scope of the project serves as proof that there is no obstacle to producing competitive and quality products in the technology field.”
President Sayan provided the following information about the studies conducted on progress in 5G: “Especially in the last 1.5 years, we have conducted our coordination and cooperation efforts including all stakeholders of the ecosystem with the aim of developing our domestic and national production capabilities. These efforts have borne their first fruits with the establishment of the 5G TR Forum, the signing of the 5G Valley Open Test Field Protocol and the Memorandum of Understanding for the 5G and Beyond Joint License-Exempt Support Program, and as the Communication Technologies Cluster (HTK). I hope that the Domestic and National 5G Communication Network Project will be successfully completed on schedule and that the project outputs will provide the expected contribution to our country.”
Minister Özlü: This Program is Proof of a Great Success
Science, Industry and Technology Minister Dr. Faruk Özlü, who spoke at the program, also shared his views as follows: “There is a beautiful picture here. Users, the state, producers—all are present. We have always asked ourselves why we couldn't demonstrate the performance in defense industry in this field. In the defense industry, from the very beginning, the customer, the user, and prices are clear. Therefore, the success rate is high. And another issue that has been criticized for a long time is ‘Why can't we do owned R&D?’ We wanted to bring this. And today we have reached the point we wanted. This program is also proof of this great success.”
Following the speeches, the signing ceremony took place. With the support of TÜBİTAK, project works will begin as 17 companies united under the HTK umbrella combine their forces to bring all communication systems to the market as domestic products without the need for foreign products. The 5G systems, to be realized with an investment of approximately 253 million TL, will be brought to the market entirely as domestic products and will also be supported by Türk Telekom, Turkcell, and Vodafone.