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Operators aim to reduce duplication in ultrafast broadband rollout in Turkey; venture open to other parties.
A group of Turkish telcos, including some big names, has begun work on the creation of a joint venture company that will ultimately enable them to share investments in the roll out of high-speed fixed broadband infrastructure.
The group comprises Turkcell’s ISP Turkcell Superonline, Vodafone Turkey, satellite operator Turksat, and members of the Turkish Competitive Telco Operators’ Association, or TELKODER, according to a statement published by Turkcell on Wednesday.
It is early days for the group, which has yet to formalise its joint venture, but in the long run it aims to drive the development of fixed infrastructure in Turkey.
"The eventual creation of the joint venture will allow the efficient use of existing infrastructure, and create better conditions for future investments by removing the need for duplicate infrastructure-building," the statement from Turkcell read.
The telco added that it believes the industry as a whole will benefit form "fairer conditions in investment and in provision of services," while increasing the penetration of ultrafast broadband services will aid the country’s economy.
The group hopes to attract others to the project.
"This initiative is open to all companies in our country’s telecommunications landscape and we are confident that both public and private sector players will support it," the founder members said, in a joint statement.
"We also believe that the vast majority of society will support our effort which aims to contribute to a brighter digital future for our country," they added.
The group has yet to share any further details regarding investment or rollout targets.
However, Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioglu issued a statement of his own following the telco’s second quarter results announcement that gives some idea of the scope of the scheme.
"The alliance members constitute 55% of the Turkish telecommunications industry’s revenue," Terzioglu said. "Our objective is to make sure that 21 million more households in Turkey reach a viable FTTH solution."
