case study

Connected Türkiye

The blueprint for delivering next generation connectivity in rural regions of Türkiye

Cityscape of Izmir, Turkey at dusk, featuring buildings, a busy roundabout, greenery, and a bay with mountains in the background.

Project Overview

Satellite Applications Catapult and Izmir Tarim Teknoloji Merkezi (ITTM is under the leadership of Izmir Commodity Exchange) will analyse the current connectivity market, complete stakeholder engagement, develop a feasibility study and implementation plan for the roll out of connectivity in rural areas of Türkiye.

Project Funder: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Project Finish: 31 March 2025

Societal Impact

Providing resilient connectivity to rural communities will improve standards of living and education, provide better connection to society, and assist in reducing employment and wealth gaps.

Satellite view of Middle East and Mediterranean at night, showing city lights and defined coastlines.

Sector Interest

The Connected Türkiye project and its outcomes will be relevant to:

Foundations
National Governments
Local and regional Governments and Governors
Telecommunications organisations
IT Infrastructure organisations
National and International Development Agencies

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Project Benefits

The outputs of this project will:

Accelerate the introduction and deployment of connectivity in rural areas,
Facilitate knowledge exchange and the generation of ideas by UK-Türkiye organisations,
Enhance the lives of people living in rural Türkiye by delivering benefits to the local and wider community through improved ‘online outcomes’,
Drive competition in the delivery of connectivity in Türkiye.

Objectives

Satellite Applications Catapult will leverage its delivery learning from projects such as Rural Connected Colombia and
5G RuralDorset and present a technical approach that can bring connectivity solutions to rural locations across Türkiye.

The objectives of the project are:

Creating Strategic alliances for longer-term commercial and institutional sustainability of the connectivity to scale nationally in the long term.
Development of a technical, policy, and business roadmap through workshops, interviews, research, and delegate missions between the two countries for knowledge exchange and generation of ideas.
Development of a roadmap for connectivity implementation activities that provide platform for UK-Türkiye businesses and research organisations to deliver and exploit, enabling connectivity.
Structuring an implementation plan of how the roadmap could be implemented in selected regions of Türkiye.

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Outcomes

The successful outcomes of the project are:

Demonstrating UK technology capabilities, knowledge and expertise with stakeholders.
Shaping policy, delivery research and commercialisation that can bring connectivity to more rural communities.
Improving human outcomes through knowledge exchange.
Developing new bilateral research project opportunities and strategic alliances between UK and Turkish stakeholders.