The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that struggling wireless companies have until June 11 to put down deposits to secure their spots as bidders in the sale of the 700-megahertz frequency, scheduled for November. The Globe's Rita Trichur and Boyd Erman write the spectrum is considered crucial for wireless players to build faster LTE networks that are proving popular with smart-phone-using consumers. The government's rules, however, state that once a company submits an application to bid, it is prohibited from having any discussions about a potential sale or merger with other registered bidders until final payments for spectrum are made, which is likely to be in early 2014. That is a problem for three new-entrant carriers, Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile, all of which are in need of money and are now looking for buyers or partners. Any freeze on potential merger-and-acquisition activity could deal a blow to the government's goal of ensuring sustainable competition with at least four carriers in every regional market. If that trio of upstarts signs up as bidders, they run the risk of alienating potential buyers, including incumbent carriers Rogers Communications, BCE and Telus.