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Turkcell, Turk Telekom, and Vodafone secure key blocks in Turkey’s $2.95 billion 5G auction

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Turkey’s highly anticipated 5G spectrum tender concluded on Thursday with a total of $2.95 billion in winning bids, as the nation’s three main telecom operators — Turkcell, Turk Telekom, and Vodafone — secured vital frequencies across the 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands.

Turkcell emerged as the biggest spender, placing the top bid of $429 million for the A1 package in the 700 MHz band and acquiring four additional blocks in the 3.5 GHz range, bringing its total to $1.22 billion.

Turk Telekom won the A3 package for $425 million and two blocks in the 3.5 GHz spectrum, with total bids of $1.1 billion. Vodafone secured the A2 package for $426 million and one 3.5 GHz block, spending $627 million overall.

The rollout of 5G services will begin in April 2026, starting in major urban centers before expanding nationwide. The tender not only allocated new frequencies but also extended the rights for existing 2G, 3G, and 4.5G networks until 2042.

The auction, overseen by Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, required a minimum bid of $2.13 billion (excluding VAT) across all packages. Analysts expect telecom firms to launch multi-year, multi-billion-dollar investments to upgrade their networks.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the first 5G signal will be launched on April 1, beginning in densely populated cities and reaching nationwide coverage in about a year.

The last major mobile frequency auction in 2015 raised €4 billion ($4.66 billion) for 4.5G services.

Ericsson and Nokia secure $2.7B 5G deal with VodafoneThree in UK

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VodafoneThree, the newly merged entity of Vodafone and CK Hutchison, has awarded a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) contract to Ericsson and Nokia to supply 5G equipment into the next decade, the companies announced on Monday.

Key details of the deal:

  • Ericsson: Named the primary vendor, its contract is valued at 12.5 billion Swedish crowns ($1.3 billion). Ericsson will supply advanced 5G radio products, AI-powered and energy-optimized hardware, plus smart antennas to deliver faster speeds in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.

  • Nokia: Returns as a UK supplier for Vodafone and Three, providing radio access network (RAN) and core network equipment to around 7,000 sites. The company did not disclose the financial details of its share.

  • VodafoneThree strategy: Following the merger in June, the company pledged a £11 billion ($14.8 billion) investment over 10 years to create one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks.

Market significance:

  • The deal is a major win for Ericsson and Nokia, two Nordic rivals that have been under pressure from a global telecom slowdown and U.S. tariffs.

  • It underscores Europe’s push for 5G self-reliance, as Ericsson and Nokia step up against rivals like Huawei, which faces restrictions across several European markets.

  • VodafoneThree aims to strengthen its competitive edge in the UK by offering enhanced 5G speeds and coverage, improving customer experiences in major cities.

This long-term supply partnership reinforces Ericsson and Nokia’s positions as critical players in Europe’s 5G rollout, while also giving VodafoneThree the infrastructure to challenge rivals BT/EE and Virgin Media O2.