Turkey’s 5G strategy is correct

Turkey transitioned to 5G as of April 1st. Everyone is trying to grasp it from their own perspective. One group is running speed tests. Another group finds the base stations insufficient. Others are debating the fiber infrastructure. There are also those who say Turkey was the last among OECD countries to make the transition. There is plenty of criticism. There is little perspective.

First, let this be clear: Reading 5G through the lens of speed is flawed from the start. 4G had already provided a sufficient speed level for the end user long ago. Watching videos, using social media, consuming data… transitioning to 5G does not dramatically change the user experience in any of these. Because the issue is not speed.

The real difference of 5G is latency. That is, not how fast data travels, but how fast it reacts. This difference is meaningful for systems, not for humans. Fields such as autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and remote surgery require low latency. Today, Turkey does not have a widespread application ecosystem in these areas. Therefore, we must be honest: Transitioning from 4G to 5G in Turkey has no direct benefit for the end user.

Looking at it this far, the criticisms seem justified. But the incomplete perspective begins exactly here.

Was Turkey’s transition to 5G delayed? Yes.

Is this a disadvantage? No.

Turkey had actually been discussing a different strategy for a long time: Using 4G as a springboard to create a difference in 5G. And the way to do this was not through infrastructure, but through scientific production. To have a say in new-generation communication technologies, to produce patents, and to contribute to standards.

The critical point here is this:

Transitioning to a technology early and having a say in that technology are not the same thing.

Unfortunately, this opportunity could not be sufficiently utilized on the 5G side.

Significant academic thesis production remained limited.

A serious presence was not established on the patent side.

Strong representation could not be achieved at the standard-setting tables.

As a result, 5G ceased to be a strategic leap area for Turkey and became merely a technological update.

At this point, the direction of the criticisms should change.

The question that should be asked is not: “Why were we late?”

The real question is: “Why didn’t we produce value?”

However, the story does not end here. The truly critical threshold is starting now.

6G is a completely different game.

5G was a faster and lower-latency version of the existing internet.

6G, on the other hand, will change the internet itself.

Artificial intelligence will be integrated directly into the network.

Communication will carry not just data, but perception and environment.

Satellite networks and ground stations will merge.

In other words, the internet will flow not just from the ground, but from space as well.

In this transformation, the cards are being reshuffled.

Standards have not yet been formed.

The patent war has not yet begun.

Precisely for this reason, having been late this time might be an advantage.

Can Turkey capture the opportunity it missed in 5G in 6G?

The answer is hidden not in technical capacity, but in strategic decision-making.

If the issue is still running speed tests, no.

But if the issue is scientific production, patents, standard setting, and long-term technology policy, yes.

Because this time, the subject is not speed.

The subject is the issue of who will write the rules of the game.

Turkey has a much stronger potential in this field than it thinks. Its young engineer population, dynamic private sector structure, and ability to make quick decisions can turn into a serious advantage when directed correctly. A clear licensing schedule for 6G should be announced without wasting time. Universities, the private sector, and the public sector should meet at the same table. Laboratories should be established, theses should be written, and teams that contribute to standards should be formed.

Producing patents is a result; the real issue is establishing that ecosystem. Turkey has the capacity to do this. As long as the goal is set correctly.

This time, we can be the ones who determine, not the ones who follow.

This time, we can take our place on the producing side, not the consuming side of technology.

And perhaps for the first time, we can use the advantage of starting right on time, rather than being late for a communication technology.

In Brief

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