Türkiye plans to pass in 2026 5G technology The scope of the frequency tender to be arranged for. According to Kemalettin Bulamacı from BTHABER, published in the Official Gazette dated 16 August 2025 President’s decision 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands in the tender. However, 26 GHz MMWave tape will not be included in the highest speeds.
Packages and base prices to be presented in the tender were explained in detail. The 700 MHz FDD band has three packages, each with a width of 2 × 10 MHz. Their minimum cost will be 425 million dollars. In the 3.5 GHz TDD band, three packages of 1 × 80 MHz will be tendered at $ 200 million. 1 × 20 MHz width will be sold for five packages of $ 50 million. If all packages are sold, the total tender fee will reach 2 billion 125 million dollars excluding VAT. For this reason, the size of the tender is an important threshold for both operators and market.
Frequency preferences are directly related to the coverage and data capacity. The 700 MHz band provides a stronger signal in rural areas and indoor spaces. The 3.5 GHz band plays a critical role for the increase in capacity in densely populated cities. Nevertheless, it reveals the highest speed and the lowest delay features of 5G 26 GHz mmwave band not included in the tender. This means that the quality of service in crowded regions such as stadium, airport and concert area will be limited in the first stage.
26 GHz Band was out of the tender
The financial conditions of the tender were also clearly involved in the decision. Winning operators will pay in three equal installments. If the payments do not occur at the maturity of the annual 7.93 %of the amount of delay interest will be involved. If the payment is not made with interest within 30 days from the maturity date, the CTK will be able to start the termination process. Therefore, the importance of the payment calendar for the operators is quite high.
The President’s decision also allows the use of existing GSM, UMTS and IMT frequencies since 2029. Operators will pay 5 %of their gross sales every year to keep these frequencies in their hands. In addition, an additional letter of guarantee is obliged to be submitted to BTK. Thus, existing spectrum assets will be integrated into the new period. These conditions will have a direct impact on both costs and frequency planning.
The current spectrum distribution of mobile operators in Türkiye will also affect the results of the tender. Turkcell With 234.4 MHz, it has the highest frequency. Türk Telekom 175 MHz is second. Vodafone Türkiye 139.8 MHz frequency capacity is located at a lower level. This difference will determine which operator will turn to which packages in the tender.
With the distribution of new frequencies, 5G is expected to serve through 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands in the first stage. These tapes will contribute to wide coverage and data capacity. However, the fact that the 26 GHz band is not included in the tender means that ultra -fast 5G experiences that stand out on a global scale cannot be presented at the beginning in Türkiye. Thus, the effects of the tender will be decisive in terms of infrastructure investments and user experiences.