Turkcell is the biggest spender in the Turkish 5G auction, paying $429 million for the A1 block in the 700MHz band and securing four additional blocks in the 3.5GHz range –bringing its total expenditure to over $1.2 billion
In sum – what to know:
Beats expectations – Turkish government raised nearly $3 billion, well above its $2.1 billion target, marking a key milestone toward 5G rollout in 2026.
Top spenders – Turkcell spent over $1.2 billion across low- and mid-band frequencies, slightly more than Türk Telekom and Vodafone.
Spectrum terms – All three operators extended rights to next-gen frequencies through 2042, reinforcing long-term capacity and stability.
Turkey’s long-awaited 5G spectrum auction concluded with operators committing close to $3 billion, surpassing government expectations and setting the stage for commercial 5G launches in April 2026. Turkcell emerged as the biggest spender in the auction, paying $429 million for the A1 block in the 700MHz band and securing four additional blocks in the 3.5GHz range, bringing its total expenditure to over $1.2 billion.
Rival telco Türk Telekom followed closely, investing $425 million in the 700MHz band and more than $600 million for two 3.5GHz blocks. Vodafone Turkey acquired the A2 package and one 3.5GHz block, spending $627 million in total. In all, 11 frequency packages covering 400 megahertz of spectrum were sold across the two bands.
The government was initially expecting to raise $2.1 billion, according to Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, but the total proceeds far exceeded that target.
The operators also secured usage rights for existing next-generation frequencies until 2042. Turkey’s last major spectrum auction occurred in 2015, when 4G frequencies were awarded to kickstart the country’s LTE rollout.
To encourage local participation in building the new 5G infrastructure, the government has set conditions requiring operators to use a portion of domestically produced equipment. The policy aims to reduce reliance on foreign vendors and stimulate Turkey’s technology sector.
Turkey currently has three mobile operators. According to GSMA Intelligence figures for the second quarter of 2025, Turkcell leads the mobile market with 33.4 million connections, followed by Vodafone Turkey with 25.4 million and Türk Telekom with 22.6 million.
Turkcell aims to enter the 5G era with the provision of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) services, the company’s CEO, Ali Taha Koç, previously told RCR Wireless News.
“We continue our investments to provide the highest quality internet service to our subscribers and 5G technology is a very high priority among our investments. Thanks to the 5G launch schedule, we have the opportunity to start with 5G-Advanced. With 5G-Advanced, we will provide the best mobile broadband service to our subscribers while also advancing the digitalization of the country,” added Koç.
Meanwhile, rival operator Türk Telekom said the telco was ready from a technical point of view to launch 5G in the country once the government awards the frequencies. Ümit Önal, chief executive officer at the firm, emphasized that more than half of the company’s LTE base stations are already fiber-connected, placing it in a strong position for the rollout of 5G technology.
