Policy and Spectrum
Regulators, spectrum, licensing, digital strategies.
Stories
Türkiye's 2027 programme targets 15 per cent fibre subscription density
The Official Gazette text counts 206 authorised infrastructure operators, while its ICT measures cover software, cyber security, AI and broadcasting.
Explainer
ADB's $20bn Digital Highway targets landlocked connectivity costs
ADB promises first-time broadband for 200 million people and a cost cut of about 40 per cent in remote and landlocked areas, but names no recipient state.
Explainer
Trans-Caspian corridor, part 5: the rules on the seabed and on each shore
A 2018 treaty lets the littoral states lay cables on the seabed; the price of capacity is set on the shores, and only Georgia's regulator is reviewing IP transit.
Starlink has 5,435 subscribers in Georgia as regulator discusses new terminal standards
ComCom also met Huawei on spectrum planning and 5G-Advanced; none of its September and October statements records a regulatory decision.
Explainer
Georgia took three auctions and five years to get 5G to all three operators
ComCom's releases show how an optional duty to open networks to virtual operators shaped who bid, when, and at what fee, from 2023 to 2025.
Uzbekistan offers startups 10 million free LLM tokens a month on state GPUs
Resolution No. 581 also caps GPU memory for other AI models at 120 GB, and the ministry has two months to set tariffs beyond the free tier.
Azerbaijan seeks World Bank data centre support and ADB space financing
Azerbaijan also signed the Digital Cooperation Organization charter on 5 October, but no release names a project, an amount or a timetable.
Analysis
Kazakhstan weighs 5G caps while Türkiye's new licences run to 2042
The first Spectrum Calendar lists the corridor's documented auctions, licence terms and coverage deadlines, each with its document and the gaps marked.
BTK says new base stations in small settlements must use national products
The September decision is unpublished, while a March decision extended extra security duties to every operator and set minimum capital at TL 10 million.
Türkiye seeks a seventh consecutive term on the ITU Council
Türkiye took the last of Western Europe's eight seats in 2022, and four corridor states are among five candidates for two Radio Regulations Board seats.
Beeline Kazakhstan to seek payment organisation status
The National Bank memorandum covers processing and settlement through the National Payment Corporation but authorises no new services, VEON says.
Azerbaijan drafts AI rules and signs MoU to test Grok in public services
Draft Cabinet resolutions cover ethical AI, personal data risks and computing infrastructure; the SpaceXAI memorandum covers all government agencies.
Explainer
Northern Cyprus 5G runs to a licence timetable: 4G spectrum from 2026, full bands in 2028
Turkcell's filing shows Kıbrıs Telekom bought 247 MHz for US$19.1 million in 2022, with staged 5G dates as Türkiye-backed fibre arrives on the island.
ADB study puts Türkiye and Kazakhstan among connectivity leaders, Tajikistan near last
The GSMA study for the bank finds Uzbekistan made the biggest index gain since 2020 and urges cheaper spectrum and service-neutral licences.
Explainer
Türkiye's 5G licences set coverage, speed and local-content duties on dates to 2042
Turkcell's 20-F sets out the timetable: village coverage by 2028, a 60% local-procurement floor and a 5% levy from 2029, and regional speed targets after that.
Explainer
Beeline's licences in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan list no 5G, VEON's annual report shows
The 20-F sets out a Kazakh spectrum history that stops in 2016 and Uzbek licences that run to 2031, while rival operators carry the 5G build.
