APEK wants to conduct a big-bang auction of frequencies on the 800 MHz and several others spectrums in order to maximise interest and the price, Dolenc suggested as he responded to an announcement from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, which said it would demand of APEK to conduct the 800 MHz tender this year.

Dolenc said the sale of 800 MHz frequencies was part of carefully planned procedures to sell mobile communication frequencies at various spectrums which would provide the required bandwidth for the next 15 years.

He added that the agency was pursuing three key goals in the auction: coverage of the entire territory of Slovenia with 4G signal, providing for suitable competition and maximising the proceeds of the sale.

This is an extremely demanding project which will mark the development of mobile communications for years to come, said Dolenc. For this reason the sale of frequencies at 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz needs to be conducted carefully.

EU members were supposed to have provided a share of the 800 MHz frequencies freed up by the transition to digital television broadcasting for mobile communications by the start of this year.

However, very few countries have been able to do this due to problems and delays with the sales procedures and licensing.

The ministry's call to APEK was prompted by an informal warning issued by the European Commission to Slovenia last month.