The communications regulator ComReg has awarded Eircom the fourth 3G licence for an initial upfront fee of €44m.
The total licence fee is €114.3m with the remaining payments phased over the next 15 years.
The licence will allow Eircom to target higher margin post-pay subscribers. The licence was initially granted to the troubled Smart Telecom.
ComReg says the addition of another 3G licence will offer consumers more choice and will strengthen competition.
The conditions of acceptance include 33% demographic coverage to be fulfilled by the end of September next year, and 83% coverage by the end of October 2012.
Investment firm Babcock & Brown Capital owns 57.1% of Eircom.
