The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is progressing with plans to redistribute broadcast spectrum for use for mobile broadband services in an auction due to take place in 2014.

The FCC has voted to set up the rules for bidding and will launch a public consultation on how the auction should work.

Bids will be taken from broadcasters willing to give up their spectrum rights in exchange for payments in what is known as a reverse or incentive auction. The spectrum will be repackaged into bands that will be sold to mobile broadband providers, with broadcasters compensated for the spectrum they hand over.

The spectrum will be in the 600MHz band and the FCC plans to implement 6MHz “guard bands” to protect remaining broadcasting services from the new mobile broadband services.

The opportunity to buy new spectrum in the auction will help operators cope with the increasing demand for data services driven by the uptake of smartphones and tablets.

“This consumer demand puts a tremendous strain on the nation’s invisible infrastructure in ways that require innovative new approaches to spectrum policy in order to spur continued economic growth, and help maintain America’s global leadership in mobile,” an FCC statement said.