Why should Turkey skip 5G and move to 6G?

We are at a critical turning point for Turkey's digital future. Should we invest in 5G, or should we prepare directly for 6G? The answer to this question is not just a technological choice, but also an opportunity for a strategic leap.

In the past, there were those who said after 3G, "Let's not move to 4G, let's jump directly to 5G." I opposed this idea and defended the necessity of 4G for society. Because 4G was not just an increase in speed, but a revolutionary transformation that enabled the integration of data and voice. Today, we are at a similar point, and this time I am saying that we should focus on 6G by skipping 5G.

Sometimes in technology, "if you cannot catch up by running, you must leap forward." It is the perfect time to apply the strategy that Steve Jobs called "over-leaping." Instead of wasting time with the massive infrastructure investments required by 5G, Turkey can get ahead in global competition by preparing directly for 6G.

We Did the Right Thing in the Transition from 3G to 4G

The biggest innovation that 3G brought to Turkey was the integration of SMS with data. However, 3G was far from meeting the increasing digital needs. At that time, some said, "Let's not move to 4G, let's jump directly to 5G." I opposed this because:

• 4G combined voice and data. High-quality voice and video calls became possible.

• It enabled the widespread adoption of mobile internet. Mobile internet, which was a limited luxury with 3G, became an inseparable part of daily life with 4G.

• It gave birth to new business models. It allowed platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Instagram to fully enter our lives.

With Turkey's transition to 4G, the mobile economy grew, new startups were born, and the digital ecosystem strengthened. However, today we are having a similar debate for 5G, and this time I believe we should skip 5G and move to 6G.

5G Has No Benefit for Turkey

Although 5G offers big promises in theory, it is not a viable solution for Turkey.

1. It is no longer possible to build the fiber infrastructure required by 5G. 5G cannot work with existing base stations; it requires new stations every few hundred meters. Turkey does not have the time or resources to build this infrastructure.

2. 5G investments are excessively costly and their return is uncertain. The transition from 4G to 5G requires billions of dollars in investment, and the return on this investment is not yet clear even globally.

3. Even in countries using 5G, the system has not fully settled. 5G has been launched in the US, Europe, and China, but most 5G networks still use 4G infrastructure.

4. It does not make a big difference for individual users. The speed and capacity offered by 4G meet most needs in daily use. The difference of 5G emerges more in industrial applications.

Moreover, the statement by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu that "5G technology will enable the effective use of artificial intelligence" is completely wrong. There is no direct connection between 5G and artificial intelligence. https://12punto.com.tr/bilim-teknoloji/bakan-uraloglu-5g-teknolojisi-yapay-zekanin-etkin-kullanimini-saglayacak-76180 Artificial intelligence is a matter of data processing capacity, and the low latency or bandwidth brought by 5G is not decisive for the development of artificial intelligence. If we follow this logic, making a claim like "4G did not bring artificial intelligence, but 5G will" would be scientifically incorrect.

6G: A Real Opportunity for Turkey

Questioning the massive investments to be made in 5G and preparing for 6G would be a smarter move.

6G will transition to space-based communication technologies. With 6G, uninterrupted internet will be provided on a global scale without being dependent on fiber optic infrastructure.

Energy Efficiency – 6G technology will offer sustainable connections with lower energy consumption.

Advanced Connection Density – It will provide a major leap for the Internet of Things (IoT) by supporting billions of devices simultaneously.

New Application Areas – It will enable new use cases such as holographic communication, augmented reality, advanced remote surgery, and fully autonomous vehicles.

Instead of investing millions of dollars in 5G, Turkey can become one of the leading countries in this field by targeting 6G.

Conclusion: We Must Be a Country That Produces Technology, Not Consumes It

To catch up with technological revolutions, sometimes it is necessary to leap forward instead of catching up slowly. Instead of Turkey wasting time by investing in 5G, it is possible for it to become one of the leading countries in future communication technologies by leaping directly to 6G.

Those who shape Turkey's technology policy should see this reality and stop forcing 5G and take steps now to prepare for 6G.