ISTANBUL-- Turkcell (NYSE:TKC) (BIST:TCELL) demonstrated LTE Broadcast technology during a basketball game between Turkey’s two leading teams, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray Odeabank. During the demo, journalists were able to watch HD videos of the game from 4 different angles on Turkcell’s test network that supports 4.5G – an experience that was offered for the first time in Turkey in a live setting.
The trial comes at a critical time as Turkey counts down to the introduction of 4.5G on April 1st. With its unique spectrum configuration, Turkcell will be able to offer mobile broadband speeds of up to 375 mbps. This advantage provides additional flexibility for services including LTE Broadcast.
The test was carried out in partnership with Ericsson and journalists used LG G3 smartphones which support LTE broadcast technology.
Count down to the launch of 4.5G
“To be able to offer LTE broadcast experience, operators have to establish dedicated spectrum and make sure that this does not influence 4.5G communication in any way. This was one of our major considerations as we acquired more spectrum than our competitors during the spectrum auction held in August” said Ilker Kuruoz, Chief Technology Officer of Turkcell. “We will continue to be the leading provider of innovative services including LTE Broadcast following the 4.5G launch. Our spectrum advantage and investment in technology will ensure that we continue to provide the best customer experience, including through our OTT services such as Turkcell TV+, BiP, Smart Cloud and Turkcell Music.” Turkey is among the leading consumers of mobile video. According to IAB Research, 60% of Turkish smartphone users watch long videos – defined as 5 minutes or longer – on their mobile devices at least once a day.
Turkcell is planning to roll out 4.5G in all 81 cities of its home country Turkey upon launch on April 1st. At the auction held on August 26th, Turkcell acquired 47% of all spectrum sold.