Avea ready for 3G

Turkish cellco Avea has revealed that it has already deployed its 3G infrastructure, despite the fact that UMTS licences have still to be awarded by the government. The firm expects to win a next generation concession when they are re-offered by the country’s Telecommunications Board (TK), though an auction schedule has still to be announced. Three 3G licences were put up for auction last year but only market leader Turkcell entered a bid, leading to the government cancelling the sale due to the lack of competition. Local newspaper Today’s Zaman quotes Avea’s general manager, Cuneyt Turktan, who says that his firm did not participate in the original auction because the terms favoured the dominant operator and would have served to strengthen its leading position. Turktan says the expected implementation of mobile number portability in November this year will improve Avea’s chances in the Turkish cellular market.