Türksat retires 3A satellite after 18 years of service

Türksat has officially retired the Türksat 3A satellite after 18 years of service. During the night of August 15–16, 2026, the company transferred the broadcasting load of 573 television and 215 radio channels to the Türksat 4A and Türksat 5B satellites.

The migration involved managing approximately 1,000 different frequencies and broadcast parameters simultaneously. While the transition was designed to be seamless, the massive scale of frequency changes led to a domino effect where nearly all channel lists were reset. This caused many viewers to encounter “No Signal” or “Channel Not Found” errors on their screens.

Despite the technical disruption, no physical adjustments to satellite dishes were required as the satellites remain at the 42 degrees East orbital position. Devices supporting the Türksat Channel Update System (TKGS) were able to update channel lists automatically. The decommissioning of 3A follows its completion of a 15-year nominal service life, allowing the company to utilize higher-capacity satellites like 5B for future data and broadcast needs.