With the FCC 700 MHz spectrum auction nearing, smaller players in the wireless industry are petitioning the FCC to keep the playing field fair. Alltel recently asked the FCC to ignore several petitions that ask it to reserve blocks of spectrum for various types of public-safety networks. MetroPCS is also stepping into the ring. It has recently freed up $1.3 billion in funding that it said could be used towards the auction. The 700 MHz spectrum is currently used by broadcast television systems and is being vacated as television switches to digital signals. The date for the auction has not been set, but Federal law mandates that it begin no later than January 28, 2008.