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Globalive Wireless Management Corp., which operates under the brand name Wind Mobile, registered to bid on the airwaves in the 700-megahertz frequency band last September, but its application was listed as “withdrawn” on Industry Canada’s website Monday afternoon.

Financial backing from VimpelCom Ltd. was always uncertain and Wind Mobile’s Canadian chief executive Anthony Lacavera said Monday the Amsterdam-based company decided against funding its participation in the auction.

Wind’s withdrawal leaves just 10 registered bidders vying for cellular airwaves in the auction, which gets underway Tuesday.

Public Mobile has sold to Telus while Mobilicity is under court protection from its creditors and Wind’s exit means none of the trio of new wireless entrants that launched after the 2008 auction will be in the running for new airwaves.

There are four prime blocks of 700 MHz spectrum up for grabs and the Big Three – BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. – are limited to bidding on one block each in each of 14 geographic areas.

Wind’s exit from the auction could present an opportunity for Quebecor Inc., which operates the Videotron wireless business in Quebec but could consider expanding to other parts of the country given the lack of competition in Ontario and the Western provinces.

Dvai Ghose, head of research at Canaccord Genuity, noted Monday that Videotron does not enjoy competitive advantages outside of Quebec – such as television and Internet services it could package with wireless service – and bidding outside its home province could stretch the company’s balance sheet.