Public tender with a public auction for assigning radio frequencies for the provision of public communication services successfully concluded

The first public auction for assigning radio frequencies in Slovenia has come to a successful conclusion. The Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia (AKOS) auctioned frequencies in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2600 MHz bands for the period of 15 years, and the unassigned frequencies in the 2100 MHz band until 21 Sep 2021. All of the offered bands, with the exception of two blocks (20 MHz) in the 1800 MHz band and one block (10 MHz) in the 2100 MHz FDD band, were sold. The total outcome of the auction is  148.740.934,00 EUR.

Three out of four Slovenia's mobile operators took part in the auction - Simobil, Telekom Slovenije in Tušmobil.

After 55 primary rounds and supplementary round and assignment round, which took place from 3^rd of April to 28^th of April 2014, bidders won the following frequencies:

All frequency bands are for providing mobile communication services. Frequencies in the frequency bands 800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz will be available immediately after the issue of decisions on the allocation of radio frequencies, and frequencies in the frequency bands 900 MHz and 1800 MHz will be available from 4^th of Jan 2016.
 

Simobil, Telekom Slovenije and Tušmobil who have won spectrum below 1 GHz will have to provide mobile communication services to 25 % of the population after 1 year, 50 % of the population after 2 years and 75 % of the population after 3 years.
 
Simobil, Telekom Slovenije and Tušmobil, which all of them also won spectrum above 1 GHz , will have to provide mobile communications services to 25 % of the population after 3 years and 40 % of the population after 5 years with any frequency above 1 GHz.
 
Simobil won the block with the special coverage obligations in the 800 MHz band. He shall have to provide mobile broadband services at a bitrate of at least 10 Mbps downlink outdoor (which equals approximately 1 Mbps indoor) to at least 95% of the population of the Republic of Slovenia within 3 years. This obligation can be fulfilled by using any of the bands assigned to Simobil.

Within the scope of the special obligation Simobil must provide coverage of selected rural settlements which are either not covered or poorly covered by a fixed broadband network (a selection of 225 from the list of 300 locations). He shall provide mobile services as well as suitable services substituting fixed broadband access. Such obligations are in accordance with the Strategic Guidelines of the relevant ministry and goals of Digital Agenda.

Because of the extreme asymmetry of operators in the Slovenian market agency had reserved up to two 2 x 5 MHz blocks of 800 MHz spectrum that only new entrants or existing operators with a market share of active end users of at most 15% could acquire. The goal was to maintain and develop effective competition in the markets for mobile electronic communication services. Tušmobil was operator which was a qualified bidder and with right to the reserved spectrum. He won the reserved spectrum. 
 

After payments of remaining fees for use of frequencies and the remaining shares of administrative costs and in accordance with the timetable the Agency will issue the relevant decisions on the allocation of radio frequencies by the end of June 2014.