Turkey’s telecommunications sector posted TRY 28 billion (approx. 15.7 billion) of service revenue last year, according to the country’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK). The sector received TRY 5.5 billion (approx. USD 3 billion) of investments from telecom companies during last year, said BTK’s 4th quarter report.

The number of mobile subscribers using a 3G network in Turkey reached 31.4 million in the 4th quarter of 2011, while the total number of subscribers hit 65.3 million. Although the technology was only introduced in 2009, Turkey has surpassed the EU average of 30.1 percent in the 3G vs. 2G ratio, reaching 48 percent. At 261 minutes, the monthly average talk time in the country’s mobile networks is also one of the highest in Europe.

The four major telecom service providers in Turkey are Turk Telekom, Turkcell, Vodafone and Avea, while the sector employs some 35,000 people.

Source : Hurriyet

Encouraged by fast growth and the positive outlook, British telecom operator Vodafone is intensifying its research and development (R&D) efforts in Turkey, while setting the stage for the next generation of mobile payment systems. Vodafone Turkey, one of the fastest growing subsidiaries of the Vodafone Group in Europe, has over 18 million subscribers, and is the second biggest operator in the countryby number of users.

Placing Turkey at the forefront of his presentation in this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao said that Turkey is the leading country in the new products and services category in the Vodafone Group. Turkey is one of five countries in which Vodafone will start using the NFC – Near-Field Communications, touted as the next generation of payment systems, bringing credit card functionality to mobile phones. “The first launch of the new mobile payment system developed in partnership with Visa will take place in Britain, Germany, Spain, Holland and Turkey by April,” Colao told listeners in the congress. The Vodafone CEO also mentioned a special subscription package called the “Farmers Club” made available by Vodafone Turkey, which specifically suits farmers and agricultural workers.

Vodafone Turkey’s R&D unit Oksijen is developing software solutions for Vodafone’s global networks, as well as for Turkey. The company’s location-based services application, Vodafone Locate, is used in many of Vodafone’s European subsidiaries.

Source : Milliyet