As mentioned in our recent Verizon/Android post, despite the fact that the deadline to apply for the 700 spectrum ended yesterday, we're still not totally sure who's in and who's out of the running. The real test will be to see who actually pays the participation fee, which is due to the FCC at 6pm on December 28th. Once that deadline is up, the FCC will publish the names of those participating. In the meantime, it's just sort of a guessing game.

Here's what we know so far about some of the major players:

Apple: There was a lot of speculation back in September that Apple had its eye on a spot in the spectrum. Perhaps Jobs' less-than-subtle disdain for the wireless carrier he's had to work with since the inception of the iPhone was enough to drive him to scrounge up that $4.6 billion for a bid.

AT&T: The country's largest wireless service provider has stated, for the record, that it plans on participating in the auction.

Comcast: The cable giant announced this morning that it wouldn't be participating in the auction.

Cyren Call: Working as a liaison for the Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corporation for the upper 10-MHz block. A detailed--if less than straightforward--breakdown of the different pieces of the spectrum can be found here [warning: PDF link]. The company initially petitioned congress to use the available 30 MHz of the upper 700 MHz spectrum for shared public and private usage but failed to get the resolution passed. Since then, it has been a rumored partner for Google and Frontline, among others.

EchoStar: The satellite television provider has not stated publicly whether it will or won't join the auction. Still, the company's shares dropped some 10.6 percent on the speculation that it would. This is following a mid-October upswing, which saw shares at $52.54 apiece, on the speculation that AT&T was going to buy the company by the end of the year.

Frontline Wireless: Frontline has stated that it will be bidding on a separate chunk of the spectrum, looking to build a public safety network. A spokesperson for the company told eWeek, "We are bidding to win and to put into operation the principle of open access and the shared public safety network that we've championed from the beginning."

Google: Google says it's in. As expected, the company officially announced a bid on Friday. Google filed a solo bid, though that doesn't mean it won't be seeking partners (*cough*Apple*cough*) once it has secured the auction. Says Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich, "We could enter into partnerships with other companies, we could lease the spectrum and become a wholesaler, or we could operate our own wireless network."

Microsoft: Has no plans to enter a bid.

Sprint Nextel: Nor does the country's number-three wireless carrier.

Time Warner: Announced alongside fellow cable bigwig Comcast that it has no intention of bidding.

T-Mobile: Has been mentioned as a possible bidder, but my guess is, if anything, it will be as a partner.

Verizon Wireless: As mentioned previously, Verizon is a big mystery, though I suspected that its recent warming up to the Google Android project signaled that it was attempting to endear itself to the FCC. You see, Verizon hasn't always been known as the most open wireless network, despite its recent announcement that it will enable third-party apps and unlocked handsets on its network.

A few months ago, it was butting heads with Google, asking the FCC to lock down the network, but Verizon eventually conceded the fight. We asked the company for a comment on the subject, and it said, "Unfortunately, we don't have any comment. Your best bet is to check with the FCC about anything that was filed. We're actually in a quiet period until the auction concludes some time next year."

TechCrunch notes the possibility of even more contenders, including handset manufacturers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson. This makes sense for hardware companies, who, like Apple, may be sick of the overbearing control of American carriers. Also noted is the possibility that small carriers might bid on a more localized level.

As mentioned before, we'll have a better idea on December 28th. Then on January 16th, the real fun begins. However, as is the nature of these auctions, don't expect a winner to be crowned for a few months.