Turkcell has successfully conducted a groundbreaking 5G test at the TEKNOFEST TRNC event in Lefkoşa, held from May 1-4. For the first time in Cyprus, the telecom giant remotely controlled an autonomous marine vehicle along the Alsancak coast of Girne using a 5G connection. This achievement marks the first-ever 5G connection from land to sea in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), using a vehicle developed with domestic technologies.
The test highlights Turkcell’s ongoing investment in 5G infrastructure, with plans to introduce the technology in Türkiye by 2026. While the company has previously conducted successful land-based 5G trials, this test focused on managing an unmanned marine vehicle, demonstrating the low latency and high-speed advantages of 5G in a maritime environment.
The autonomous marine vehicle used in the test was developed by SuTech, a team of young entrepreneurs from the TEKNOFEST generation. SuTech has gained international recognition for its environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient autonomous marine solutions.
Through its subsidiary Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell (KKTCELL), Turkcell has made substantial contributions to the digitalization, energy, and infrastructure development of the TRNC. The company’s total direct and indirect contributions to the TRNC public have exceeded $1.1 billion, including over $300 million invested in infrastructure. Turkcell was also the first operator to introduce 4.5G technology to the island and is continuing its efforts to implement 5G and fiber infrastructure investments.
Dr. Ali Taha Koç, General Manager of Turkcell, commented, “We are proud to conduct the first 5G test from land to sea, remotely controlling the mobile sea vehicle developed with domestic technologies by the young people of the TEKNOFEST generation. Our infrastructure investments for 5G technology continue rapidly as we diversify our connection tests for various applications.”
