Turkey To Issue 3g Licences By The End Of April

ANKARA - Turkey's telecommunications authority plans to issue 3G licences by the end of April, head of the organization said on Thursday.
Tayfun Acarer, Chairman of Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), said that licences would be issued in two or three weeks, or by the end of this month, the latest.

Acarer said Turkish mobile operators, who offered highest bids to win A,B and C type licences, could launch 3G services three months later, when the legal period is over.

In a tender held in November 2008, Turkcell won the highest frequency 3G licence with a winning bid of 358 million euros. Vodafone secured the second highest frequency 3G licence for 250 million euros while Avea got the third highest frequency with a bid of 214 million euros.

Council of State approved the tender and sent it to BTK on Thursday.

Acarer said the tender could lead to recovery of Turkey's telecommunication industry in the global economic crisis.

"Building 3G systems and all works related to content would create remarkable number jobs in the industry," he said.