“Frontline’s plan was to use the spectrum to build an advanced wireless network for first responders that could also be shared with commercial users. With Frontline out of the mix, it isn’t clear who will win the slice of frequencies the FCC has designated for a hybrid public-private wireless network.

Large incumbents like Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, and AT&T Inc. are in a good position to get the spectrum if they want it. But once they control it, they would have to negotiate with public-safety agencies to build a network that will work with their radios, something the two telecom giants may not want to get mired in. An AT&T spokesman and a Verizon Wireless spokesman declined to comment.

If no players come forward to build an advanced network for first responders, it would be a significant setback for the FCC and an embarrassment for its chairman, Kevin Martin. Improving public-safety communications has become a higher priority in Washington since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, when communications miscues hobbled public-safety efforts.”

So we wonder if any of the other 266 potential applicants who are all seeking to bid for the “beachfront property” 700 MHz auction will be willing to build out a new network and share it with municipalities for public safety applications. We will know in a few weeks - the auction is scheduled for January 24th.