Auctions in the mid-band spectrum between 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz are piling up as regulators and operators start to take these bands seriously as opportunities to deploy early 5G services. Though the US and China are setting the pace – though with no alignment of their activities – many regulators are preparing auctions, and the relatively plentiful capacity available may encourage new entrants. This has happened in the Czech Republic, where two new entrants acquired spectrum in the 3.7 GHz band, along with two incumbents. Existing MNOs O2 and Vodafone each gained a block of 40 MHz in the auction, held by the Czech Telecommunication Office, as did newcomer PODA. But the other new player, Nordic Telecom 5G, grabbed…