Price brake from BTK before 5G: Price hike limit imposed on operators

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has announced that Turkcell, Türk Telekom, and Vodafone will not be able to charge above the set upper limits. This decision prevents operators from implementing excessive price hikes under the pretext of 5G investments or tender costs.

RECORD BID IN 5G TENDER

In the recently held 5G tender, the three major operators submitted a total bid of 3 billion 534 million dollars, winning licensing rights for 11 frequency packages until 2042. The companies will pay this amount in three equal installments and will prepare their infrastructure for 5G by 2026. Turkey will officially begin using 5G technology as of April 1, 2026.

NEW CEILING PRICES ANNOUNCED

According to the maximum fee tariff published by BTK:

• Domestic call per minute: 4.11 TL
• International call per minute: 48.68 TL
• Domestic SMS: 2.93 TL
• International SMS: 8.54 TL
• Directory assistance service (per minute): 11.65 TL

These limits will remain in effect until 2026 to ensure consumers do not face sudden price hikes.

NEW RULES FOR SIM CARD AND LINE TRANSACTIONS

SIM card changes under warranty will continue to be free of charge. However, a fee of 180.06 TL will be charged for lost, stolen, or user-caused situations, and 183.68 TL for line activation/deactivation transactions.

32 PERCENT LIMIT FOR NON-CONTRACT SUBSCRIBERS

BTK has announced that as of October 1, 2025, a maximum price hike of 32% can be applied to new tariffs for subscribers whose contract period has expired. For example, the new package price for a user paying 300 TL will not be able to exceed 400 TL. This step will provide significant protection, especially for non-contract users.

TARIFF COMPARISON ON E-DEVLET

Citizens will now be able to compare which operator offers more advantageous tariffs via e-Devlet. With the BTK “Tariff Comparison” service, users will be able to analyze criteria such as connection speed, contract duration, additional benefits, and payment options from a single screen.

BALANCED PRICE ERA BEFORE 5G

With the new regulation, price stability will be maintained during the transition to 5G. Thus, both the path for operators to implement high price hikes under the pretext of costs will be blocked, and the budgets of citizens will be protected. As of 2026, Turkey will step into 5G technology with a balanced and sustainable price policy.

News Source: 12punto