Google, Verizon Wireless and AT&T are among 266 companies competing to bid for the 700MHz spectrum auction set for January. The field of potential bidders, released late Tuesday night by the FCC, so
far has accepted 96 applicants--and another 170 have until Jan. 4 to complete their paperwork. Verizon and AT&T were among the bidders whose applications were marked as "incomplete" by the FCC. Other
companies bidding for a chunk of spectrum include Cablevision Systems Corp., Cox, Qualcomm, Towerstream and Frontline Wireless. Paul Allen is also planning to bid through his Vulcan Ventures
investment firm, as is a Guam-based phone company backed by an investment firm run by Roy Disney. The auction could raise up to $15 million for the government.