When the Federal Communications Commission releases the results from its $19 billion auction of new wireless spectrum, all eyes will looking for one name: Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

The search giant is eager to expand into the mobile world. Odds are that the company won't outbid Verizon Wireless or AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) for the "C" block of new spectrum that attracted a $4.74 billion bid. BusinessWeek has reported that Google probably withdrew from the bidding. But as The New York Times notes, Google scored a pretty significant victory already.

"While Google was not expected to post a winning bid, it has already achieved an important victory by influencing the auction rules," the paper said. "The commission forced the major telephone companies to open their wireless networks to a broader array of telephone equipment and Internet applications."

In other words, people can download whatever application they want to their mobile phones, which is exactly what Google wants to happen. Fortune recently noted that open standards are a central feature of Google's Android mobile platform. Speculation abounds about Google's interest in the mobile area, though the much anticipated Gphone has yet to materialize.

The FCC's upcoming auction for the 700-Mhz radio spectrum could give Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and other tech giants the power to change the world of wireless technology.

The current draft rules would set aside space in the new spectrum for an "open" network, void of the current restraints telecom operators like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) normally put on their networks. The space for sale would be large enough to create a nationwide network "that will open the door to a lot of innovative services for consumers," FCC chairman Kevin Martin told USA Today. Estimates suggest that the auction could yield $20 billion to $30 billion for the government.

The point of an "open" platform is to allow consumers to use any combination of devices, software, content or services on the new network. The proposal for an open network would be a huge setback for the likes of AT&T and Verizon, among other major telecoms, because they wouldn't be able to control what phones and services would be used in their networks. Carriers have been critical of the draft rules which they feel favor Google, while consumer advocates complain that the rules are too timid and fail to create actual competition for the market, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Google, along with Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), EchoStar (NASDAQ: DISH) and DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) are part of the "Coalition for 4G in America," a group that has repeatedly called for the new bandwidth to be open to all devices and software. The Journal also said that Google and other tech giants have gone a step further to argue that the FCC should explicitly designate the new owner of the bandwidth to open up its network to a wider group of applications and mobile devices, unlike the existing system.

The FCC is expected to make a final decision on the draft rules over the summer.