A protocol for the 5G Valley Open Testbed Cooperation Project was signed on August 15 by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority of Turkey (ICTA), Hacettepe University, Bilkent University, Middle East Technical University and wireless operators Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone to create a 5G testbed.
The testbed is envisioned as an ecosystem in which new technologies and applications can be tested and realized in a live 5G network. In 5G, wireless communications and the internet will merge and provide improvements in speed and reductions in delays of up to 100 times.
5G will not only offer improved communication technologies but will also serve as a platform upon which innovative applications in the areas of the internet of things, smart cities, smart vehicles, smart agriculture, health and entertainment can be developed. It is hoped that the know-how and the products obtained while developing new technologies and applications in the ecosystem will contribute to Turkey’s competitiveness in 5G-related technologies.
The president of the ICTA, Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, noted that the 5G Valley Open Testbed Project will lead to the development of services, products and applications of value for many sectors, in particular communications, urban planning, transportation, health and energy. Such venues as the Hacettepe University Beytepe campus and the Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University campuses and technoparks, and the ICTA center and laboratory building, along with city hospitals, shopping malls and other large public buildings are likely to benefit greatly from the innovations sparked by the project.