Turkish 5G Auction Reaches $3 Billion and Exceeds Targets

Turkish telco operators have spent close to $3 billion on 5G-suitable spectrum. The country’s government concluded an auction that will pave the way for services to launch in April 2026.

Turkcell emerged as the biggest spender, placing bids of $429 million for the so-called A1 package in the 700MHz band while winning four blocks in the 3.5GHz range, taking its total spending to more than $1.2 billion. This was slightly more than Turk Telekom, which spent $425 million on 700MHz and more than $600 million on two blocks in the 3.5GHz range.

Vodafone, the country’s other major player, won the A2 package and bagged a single 3.5GHz block for a total sum of $627 million. In total, 11 frequency packages were up for sale, with 400MHz allocated across the two bands. At the start of last month, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the government targeted a total $2.1 billion to be raised from the auction.

As well as buying up 5G frequencies, the operators acquired usage rights of previous next-generation frequencies until the end of 2042. In a post on X at the auction’s conclusion, Uraloglu thanked the operators for participating in the auction, which, he emphasized, will make a significant contribution to the Turkish economy.