Kevin Martin appears poised to attach conditions to whomever nabs the highly prized 700Mhz spectrum at auction. Microsoft, Google and a group of hardware vendors and consumer advocates have been pushing the FCC to use the spectrum to create a new, inexpensive broadband option for us to play with.

A recent report (pdf) boldly suggested that every American household could see access "for as little as $10 a month" using the new spectrum.

Whoever wins this spectrum has to provide (a) truly open broadband network. -FCC chief Kevin Martin

Martin's circulating a proposal at the FCC this week that would ensure that whoever nabs the spectrum at auction would have to provide a "truly open broadband network — one that will open the door to a lot of innovative services for consumers," according to the FCC chief.

"You can use any wireless device and download any mobile broadband application, with no restrictions," Martin explains. Obviously that's in sharp contrast to existing wireless services that frequently nickle and dime customers, while locking down phones and often prohibiting the use of third party applications and services.

As Dow Jones reports, attaching such conditions to the spectrum would challenge incumbent phone operators, something highly out of character for the FCC boss. The piece does note that he's denying most of the requests by Frontline, who wanted to build a national broadband network to challenge incumbent operators AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

Martin's plan should be released within weeks, and the auction itself should occur in January of next year.