Turkcell has signed up ZTE to roll out new fixed and wireless products to customers and to push its network towards 5G readiness.
The two companies will collaborate on gigabit-capable passive optical networks (GPON), dense wavelength division multiplexing, customer premises equipment and “side-edged” 5G.
It extends the existing collaboration between Turkcell and ZTE on the operator’s T-series of mobile phones. Turkcell launched the first operator-branded T-series smartphone in 2011 in a bid to boost uptake of its 3G services.
The CEOs of the two companies signed the new memorandum of understanding at last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO of Turkcell, said that the collaboration would allow it to offer “advanced technologies and an enhanced experience” to its customers.
Tuckcell has worked with other vendors to upgrade its network, as the operator saw strong revenue growth in 2016 on the back of rising 4G subscriptions.
A 5G trial in January saw Turkcell and Ericsson reach speeds of 24.7GBps on 15GHz spectrum.
Last August, Turkcell signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei around 4.5G and 5G technologies.
The pair said they planned to “hunt for innovative business models and disruptive technologies to maintain their market leadership”.
According to a report released by the Turkish government, the ICT industry will account for eight percent of the nation’s GDP in 2023, with Turkcell aiming to enable this through its position as the country’s largest mobile operator.