The Federal Communications Commission has said that 214 companies are eligible to bid in the 700 MHz Auction 73, a significant proportion of the 266 short form applications. Obviously Google (NSDQ: GOOG) qualified to bid, along with AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Alltel (NYSE: AT), Leap, MetroPCS, Paul Allen’s Vulcan Spectrum and TV companies Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) Systems, Advanced/Newhouse Partnership and Cox Communications and EchoStar (NSDQ: DISH). All the qualified bidders are in this PDF. With the demise of Frontline, people supporting its plan to build a wireless public-safety network with the D-Block license are looking at the incumbent telcos or Google to build the network, reports RCR Wireless. “At this point, we expect the FCC and the public-safety community is exerting significant pressure on incumbent wireless bidders to bid for the D-Block license to ensure there is an entrant willing and able to build a wireless public-safety broadband network,” said Jessica Zufolo, a telecom analyst at Medley Global Advisors. Dow Jones has a good piece on the uncertainty surrounding the 10 MHz block set aside with first-responder provisions, noting that if the minimum price of $1.3 billion isn’t reached the FCC may be forced to scrap the provisions and sell the spectrum clear of any restrictions because Congress has already spent the money expected to be generated by the auction.