Mobile Citizens, a not-for-profit organization that provides free and low-cost internet service to schools, has won an injunction preventing Sprint from shutting down its WiMax network. Sprint had planned to cease operating WiMax on Nov. 6. Mobile Citizens and other groups, however, had existing wholesale contracts with Clearwire, which Sprint acquired in 2013. Sprint says it tried to work the organizations to switch them to LTE, but the organizations allege Sprint is seeking unreasonable new terms. A Massachusetts-based judge believes some at-need consumers may be harmed if the shutdown is allowed to proceed and issued a 90-day stay. "The injunction compels Sprint to honor its professed commitment to closing the digital divide," said Mobile Citizen founder John Schwartz in a statement. "It's unfortunate it took a court order to stop Sprint from shutting off 300,000 children, families, teachers and community members from access to the American dream. But we look forward to moving ahead positively with Sprint and ensuring that everyone in our community can keep the service they rely on to connect to the larger world around them." The injunction gives the organizations more time to move customers from WiMax to LTE. Sprint did not immediately offer comment.


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