The AWS-3 auction came about after several startups petitioned the FCC to allow them to use a block of spectrum at no cost to provide free access to a nationwide "family-friendly" Internet.

The FCC declined these proposals, but asked for public comment on how they should auction the spectrum.

Comments to the FCC on the AWS-3 Auction
In these comments, public interest groups, including Free Press, propose to the FCC that the AWS-3 auction be based on three public interest criteria to ensure that the network provides access to an unfettered Internet at acceptable speeds and that it is deployed in a timely fashion. (December 2007)