Ljubljana - Having acquired frequencies for wireless broadband in a national auction, the telecommunications provider Telemach is launching its 5G network on Tuesday, initially making it available to users in the centre of Ljubljana and the commercial district BTC.

As part of a wireless spectrum auction in April, the Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS) also offered frequency bands for the 5th generation wireless technology, selling them for a combined EUR 164.2 million to four bidders - A1 Slovenija, Telekom Slovenije, Telemach and T-2.

Having been issued the decision, Telemach announced on Monday it had paid EUR 51.6 million for the frequencies to increase its spectrum 3.5-fold.

"We are very satisfied with the auction, having acquired all the desired frequencies. It is an investment in providing a high quality and capacity of our mobile network, and the acquired frequencies will allow us to further improve our mobile services," Telemach CEO Adrian Ježina was quoted as saying in the company's press release.

Telemach tested the 5G technology over a year ago, but had to acquire the frequencies before it could roll out the new technology for commercial use. It will be initially available at the busiest areas of Slovenia's capital, at the city centre and the BTC district.

The service is available as promotion to users with mobile devices supporting 5G in all mobile packages of the Več family, they only need to send the SMS keyword 5G to the number 7070.

In line with the strategy, the company will also make the new technology available in other larger Slovenian towns. It will meet all the requirements under the public call for auction by 2025.

"We are now opening a new chapter [...] The transition to the 5G technology will enable us to grow further, and thus enhance our position in the Slovenian market," Ježina was quoted as saying.

A member of United Group, Telemach has 600,000 users in Slovenia.

The company plans to invest more than EUR 100 million in the 4G and 5G technologies in the coming years.