In one of the many auctions of conventional sub-6 GHz bands which are now being billed as ‘5G’, the Irish regulator, ComReg has awarded new licences to five operators. In total, 350 MHz of spectrum in the 3.6 GHz band was sold for more than €78m, split between upfront fees and usage charges. Vodafone Ireland won the biggest chunk, claiming 85 MHz for use in rural regions and 105 MHz for the cities, at a cost of €22.8m. Meteor, a subsidiary of telco Eir, won 80 MHz for use in the countryside and 85 MHz for cities. It paid €15.6m. Three Ireland bought 100 MHz for use nationwide, spending €20.3m. An interesting winner was Airspan, an equipment vendor focused on small…