Turkey will commission today its first domestic base station, ULAK, on the eve of World Telecommunication Day.

Built by local defense giant ASELSAN, the base station in northwestern Turkey's Kars, will assess the opportunities that will emerge with 5G technology.

Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan will inaugurate ULAK.

A major achievement in the country's mobile communication technology sector, ULAK will start operation following the first party delivery in April, within the scope of the Universal Service Project Phase 1.

The installation of ULAK base stations, whose development activities are in progress in coordination with the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) and ULAK Communications Inc. with ASELSAN as the main contractor, continue at full speed.

With additional deliveries in May and June this year, a total of 489 domestic base stations will be installed within the scope of the Universal Service Project Phase 1, made in collaboration with Turkcell as the main operator. Carried out by Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone, the Universal Service Project (Phase 1 and Phase 2) can be used anywhere in Turkey.

In a statement ASELSAN noted that the transition from 4.5G to 5G will bring significant transformation in communication technologies. A number of factors are expected to play an important role in this transformation process, like an increase in the number and diversity of mobile devices, enhanced use of network usage, and emergence of new security requirements.