The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are said to be considering a spectrum auction that could help close the digital divide.

The new spectrum sale comes with the condition that the winning bidder must offer free high-speed wireless internet access nationwide (US).

On June 12th, the proposal will be put forward by the FCC at its upcoming meeting, according to spokesperson Chelsea Fallon.

In an interview, fallon said, “The commission is interested in proposals that will give consumers greater choices to access the Internet.”

This plan is one of several ways the FCC hopes to “support initiatives that have a positive impact on the next phase of wireless growth and innovation.”

The plan involves selling off 25 megahertz of spectrum in the 2155MHz band. The details of the proposal are still being worked out but what is known is that the buyer would have to guarantee that it will roll out free access over time, reaching at least half the US population within four years of the license purchase and 90 percent of more within ten years.

The wireless access is likely to be filtered, with some content – such as pornography – being restricted.

The FCC believes that the wireless spectrum holds the key to narrowing the digital divide – the gap between people who have access to high speed internet access and those who do not because of financial of geographic reasons. Wireless is a less costly solution because it removes the need for building fiber optic networks.

Recently the FCC held an auction for 700 megahertz of spectrum, a major portion of which was purchased by Verizon and other major telecommunication companies. Under pressure from Google and others, the FCC conditioned part of that sale to require the winning bidder to open the network to all devices and services.

Whether or not the free Internet access plan works is likely to be determined by how much value potential buyers see in the advertising-supported business model. Advertising would have to be lucrative enough to support building the network out and operating it over time.

Forrester Research Analyst Charles Golvin said in an interview, “A company will have to have either deep pockets or investors who buy into the notion of an ad-supported system,

We’ve seen in other countries that wireless can play a role in connecting people to the Internet who otherwise would remain shut out,” he added.