We finished last out of 37 countries: Turkey has not lost its title of having the "slowest internet connection"

For the past two years, Turkey has been the country with the slowest internet connection by a wide margin among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. In Turkey, which also ranked last among a total of 37 countries in internet speed the previous year, the median download speed was 30.2 mbps in 2023. In Sweden, which ranked first, the median download speed was measured at 186.40 mbps, while it was 186.40 mbps in second-place Switzerland, 179.81 mbps in third-place Denmark, and 177.93 mbps in fourth-place France. Countries that outperformed Turkey, which sits at the bottom of the list, include Mexico, Colombia, and Greece.

In Turkey, the share of fixed broadband subscriptions with a commitment faster than 30 mbps was 25.2 percent, while the share of fixed broadband subscriptions with a commitment faster than 100 mbps remained at 1 percent. In the OECD average, the share of subscriptions faster than 30 mbps reached 60.8 percent, while the share of subscriptions faster than 100 mbps was 82.0 percent.

THE MOST IMPORTANT DEFICIENCY IS FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE

Fiber infrastructure is cited as one of the most important reasons for slow internet in Turkey. According to BTK data, fiber length in Turkey increased by only 8 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 568 thousand. Industry representatives do not find the annual increase of 42 km sufficient.

According to the report by Selenay Yağcı from Ekonomim, the share of fiber in fixed internet subscriptions in Turkey also remains below the OECD average. While this rate rose to 35 percent in Turkey in the first quarter of 2024, the OECD average is 42 percent. South Korea ranks first with a share of 89.6 percent, and its fiber line length is approximately 4 times that of Turkey. For Turkey to reach the same density, it needs to increase its fiber line to 1.9 million kilometers and increase it by 17 percent every year.

THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FIBER SUBSCRIBERS

When looking at the annual increase in fiber subscriptions, Turkey, which is growing above the OECD average, ranks 13th with 18.4 percent. The top 5 include Greece with 78.8 percent growth, Israel with 68.0 percent, Belgium with 54.5 percent, Mexico with 53.6 percent, and the United Kingdom with 52.9 percent. In Turkey, the highest increase in the first quarter of this year was in the number of Fiber to the Home (FTTH) subscribers with 22.3 percent. In the last 1 year, the number of fiber subscribers per 100 people in Turkey increased from 6 to 7.9, while the OECD average rose from 12 to 15.20. The top 3 were France with 31.2, South Korea with 41.8, and Norway with 33.4.

Halil Nadir Teberci, President of the Association of Competitive Telecommunication Operators (TELKODER), stated that the rate of increase in the number of fiber subscribers has slowed down significantly since 2013. Teberci assessed that in order to increase the number of fiber subscribers significantly, the fiber network must be expanded and the obstacles in front of investors' efforts to establish fiber infrastructure must be removed.

Pointing out that Türk Telekom's fiber growth rate has slowed down since 2012, Teberci said, "It is quite surprising that while the Türk Telekom fiber network grew by 240 percent between 2009 and 2023, the fiber networks of alternative operators grew by 631 percent. Despite regulatory measures and economic advantages, it is clear that the Türk Telekom fiber network has not shown sufficient growth."

News Source: 12punto