Türkiye surpasses global internet average with infrastructure boost
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu speaks at a meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, Aug. 29, 2024. (AA Photo)


On Sunday, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced significant strides in Türkiye’s communication infrastructure, attributing these advancements to a substantial investment of $275 billion over the past 22 years. As of 2023, the country’s internet usage rate has surpassed the global average of 67%, reaching 87.1%.

In a recent statement, Uraloğlu revealed the latest data from the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) regarding the electronic communications sector. According to the report, the number of mobile network subscribers in Türkiye has reached 92,900,137, while the fixed network subscriber count stands at 9,396,107.

Highlighting the impressive growth in internet usage, Uraloğlu noted, "Our internet usage rate of 87.1% far exceeds the global average of 67%. We continuously strengthen Türkiye’s communication infrastructure by investing in this sector."

Uraloğlu underscored the critical role of connectivity in today's rapidly evolving world. "Approximately 5 billion people globally use internet technologies. With our $275 billion investment in transportation and communication infrastructure over the past 22 years, Türkiye has made significant progress in this field. By 2023, the total number of fixed and mobile broadband internet subscribers in Türkiye reached 93.3 million. Of these, 73,715,377 are mobile subscribers and 19,600,230 are fixed-line subscribers. The number of internet subscribers has increased to 94.2 million as of the first quarter of this year."

He also pointed out that most broadband subscribers are mobile broadband users. Since the introduction of 3G in 2009 and 4.5G in 2016, the number of mobile broadband subscribers has surged, reaching 73.7 million by the end of 2023, accounting for 79% of the total broadband subscriber base.

Discussing fixed broadband expansion, Uraloğlu shared that Türkiye has shown the highest increase in fixed broadband availability among OECD countries from 2022 to 2023. The average annual growth rate globally was 1.7%, whereas Türkiye’s was 2.2%.

Additionally, Uraloğlu reported a significant rise in electronic communication revenue, which increased by 72% in 2023 compared to the previous year and by 3.4 times compared to 2019. Last year, this revenue totaled TL 224.6 billion.