Google Inc. is one of 266 potential bidders in a highly anticipated airwaves auction scheduled to begin in January.

The Federal Communications Commission released a list of the 266 prospective bidders Tuesday evening. Of the 266 applications received, Google’s was one of 96 that was deemed “accepted for filing.” The next step is to submit an up-front payment before a Jan. 4 deadline.

The auction is scheduled to take place on Jan. 24. The spectrum is being made available thanks to the transition to digital broadcasting by television station owners. It is expected to raise as much as $15 billion for the government.

There appeared to be no major surprises among the list of bidders. Google, bidding as Google Airwaves Inc., previously had announced that it would be participating in the auction, a commitment that made headlines.

Verizon Wireless also submitted an application, but it was labeled “incomplete,” meaning the company will have to resubmit it and include more information. The same thing happened to AT&T Inc. and Licenseco LLC, which is the name being used by Frontline Wireless LLC, a startup company loaded with technology executives and former government officials that wants to build a national public safety network.

The auction rules will include “open access” requirements on about a third of the spectrum. The winning bidder for those frequencies will be required to permit wireless customers to use whatever phones and software they choose, as long as it doesn’t harm the network.

The provision was pushed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, who billed it as a victory for consumers. Since the rules were proposed, both Verizon and AT&T have embraced the open-access idea.

The spectrum up for bidding allows wireless signals to travel very long distances and go through walls, making network construction costs lower for winning bidders.

Among some of the other companies who have filed incomplete applications are Alltel Corp., Chevron USA Inc., Cox Wireless Inc. and Qualcomm Inc.

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On the Net

Federal Communications Commission Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: http://wireless.fcc.gov/