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BECTU president Tony Lennon is "appalled" at Ofcom's plans to auction spectrum freed by the analogue switch-off, he has said.
The BBC's head of strategy also questioned the plans at a conference on digital switchover.
"I am stunned that public property is being packaged up and sold off in this way," Lennon told the Westminster eForum. "If Ofcom gets it wrong it will be a massive act of treachery.
"Effectively what Ofcom is doing is selling it off to the highest bidder. Allowing the people with the biggest cheque books to decide is not the best way."
The broadcasting union leader said money should not be the only factor: "As well as economic tests, each bid should be assessed on social criteria as well."
The most controversial issue around what Ofcom calls the digital dividend has so far been its plans for HDTV. It is proposing not to reserve any of the new spectrum for high-density digital terrestrial channels, which has angered the broadcasting industry.
Lennon said: "The future of the Freeview platform depends on being able to develop high definition. If it doesn't have the necessary capacity it will waste on the vine, forcing people to pay subscriptions in order to watch the BBC."
Catherine Smadja, head of strategy at the BBC, agreed: "BBC engineers are working on a new standard which might allow us to put services on existing platforms but it is a risky strategy and we cannot gamble with the future of HD on Digital Terrestrial TV."
Ofcom's Philip Rutnam, another speaker at the conference, defended the plan: "We are not here to raise money for the exchequer but for the greatest benefit of society and citizens."
The regulator has completed a consultation on use of the spectrum and is expected to announce final proposals in coming months. The auction is planned for next year.
