Sprint WiMAX shutdown delayed by judge’s order

When Sprint acquired Clearwire, it also acquired the lease but moved forward with plans to shut off Clearwire’s WIMAX service, which the two non-profits were the leaseholders on prompting the suit. “We hope Sprint will now work with us to ensure the elderly, disabled, students and other vulnerable populations who rely on our service can transition to LTE quickly and avoid any disruption in service”.

Those Philadelphians, who were among an estimated 300,000 nationally that would be affected, were in danger of losing internet access because of a dispute between Sprint and Mobile Beacon and Mobile Citizen, two nonprofits that provide affordable internet to nonprofits, libraries and schools. “But the transition can not take place without the cooperation of each licensee”, said Vinge Walsh. Under FCC rules, the firms leased a portion of their spectrum to Clearwire for 30 years in 2006 in exchange for the ability to provide unlimited, high-speed broadband service to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations across the United States.

However, Sprint has previously contended that Mobile Citizen and Mobile Beacon fight is a manufactured crisis.

The granting of preliminary injunction follows lawsuit by Mobile Beacon and Mobile Citizen, who rely on Sprint to serve their customers.

About 14,000 Twin Cities low-income households receive low-cost online access through St. Paul-based PCs for People, a reseller of Mobile Beacon and Mobile Citizen service.

About Mobile CitizenMobile Citizen offers mobile broadband service exclusively to nonprofits and schools at remarkably low cost. EBS refers to spectrum the Federal Communications Commission reserved to serve the public interest by providing wireless broadband services in support of education.

The lawsuit, detailed by The Verge last month, accused Sprint of shutting down the network while making it impossible for groups to efficiently switch over to the modern LTE standard.

“Hopefully we can have a much more productive and cooperative relationship”, Messier added, noting that the groups still have 21years left on their contract and need to be able to work together. The carrier told Recode that it stands by its original decision to cut off WiMAX for good and that it “plan[s] to continue to protect its rights in this contract dispute and expect to prevail on the merits”.

The judge’s decision Thursday will not affect Sprint’s retail customers, and the company is reviewing the decision.

“I think it’s important to note that Sprint has been a leader in providing Internet connectivity for many years, including to schools, nonprofits and the disadvantaged”, Vinge Walsh said. “Sprint’s record of programs to bridge the digital divide proves it cares about ensuring as many customers as possible are connected at all times”, she said.

“This is about a contract dispute”.