Turkish Telekom to replace Mayanet on Incirlik

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicole Sikorski
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Turkish Telecom internet, phone and television will replace Mayanet in the months to come here on base in order to make data plans more cost efficient and effective for users.

All channels offered in Adana will be available on TT net, and users will be allowed 50 gigabytes in internet downloads per month. If that allowance is exceeded, TT net will decrease the customer's internet speed for the remainder of the month.

The dorms will be the first buildings to gain the new service, according to Master Sgt. James Mitchell, 39th Communications Squadron plans section chief.

Turkish Telecom is currently determining the maximum possible bandwidth that will be able to run on base.

For houses not scheduled to be renovated, TT net will provide Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line service. ADSL prices are yet to be decided. Once all of the renovated houses are renovated, TT net will remove the ADSL network, said Mitchell.

There will be different speed packages available, said Mitchell. Phone, internet and television service packages are estimated to be 75 Turkish Lira per month with a yearly contract.

Rates will fluctuate based on the local economy, but will typically be more cost efficient than Mayanet, he said.

"Just like in the states, your neighbor may sign up for internet and pay half of what you are," said Mitchell. "There is no difference here."

The 39th Force Support Squadron will deal with transaction change-overs and discounts on existing internet service, but there is not yet a definite termination date for Mayanet.

Turkish Telecom will not bill the customer until the installation is complete, Mitchell added.

"Anyone who pays ahead of time for Mayanet during the change-over will get a refund when the switch occurs," said Joseph Distefano, 39th FSS ADSL technician.

"Existing wireless routers will work for the new service," he said. "But, [TT net] will bring new modems."

Mitchell added that it is not advisable to sign a yearly contract with TT net because there is no military clause for breaking a contract here. Customers will pay a penalty for early termination, which would be to back pay to cover the full price for the duration of the contract.

"If you don't have a year here, I don't recommend signing for one," said Mitchell. "Just sign for a month-to-month plan."

Payment can be made at the Exchange, or there is an option to set up auto-payments online.

When signing up, bring proof of residence, a copy of red-stamped NATO orders and a military ID card.

Since there is limited access with certain Websites, TT net is attempting to enlarge the IP range to ensure there is no lapse in coverage, Mitchell said.

All TT net users will receive a Turkish phone number with a 590 prefix and no longer have a DSN number. The cost to make local calls will be 10 kurus per minute (approximately 5 cents).

Mitchell also added that TT net is working towards providing international call service, but he advises not making a habit of calling abroad because of costs. Additionally, 911 will transition to 112 for emergency services on all phones on base. More information about the emergency service number changeover will be made available after the transition date is set.