Slovenia will publish details of a planned mobile frequency auction by the end of December, while the deadline for submitting bids will be February 2014, according to the Agency for Post and Electronic Communications (Apek). In a response to questions by Zurnal24, the regulator also said that the public auction would start in March 2014, while the decisions on issuing the radio frequencies will be published by the end of June 2014. The public auction will use the combinatorial clock method, and bidders will compete for 15-year licences to lots in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz (TDD) and 2600 MHz bands.
The auction will be open to the existing four mobile operators (Telekom Slovenije, Si.mobil, Tusmobil and T2), and those who acquire spectrum below 1 GHz will have to cover 25 percent of the population in one year, 50 percent in two years and 75 percent in three years. New operators will have to cover 25 percent of the population in two years, 50 percent in three years and 75 percent in five years. Operators awarded spectrum above 1 GHz will have to cover 25 percent of the population in three years and 40 percent in five years.
