Disadvantaged Twin Cities households face loss of Internet

About 14,000 low-income Twin Cities (MN) households are at risk of losing their low-cost Internet service, which they receive over an old Sprint data network that is expected to disappear Nov. 6. The Internet service, provided by a St. Paul (MN) nonprofit called PCs for People, has permitted cash-strapped Twin Cities residents to ditch dial-up service for a much-faster broadband connection at a comparable cost. But the service taps a wireless-data technology called WiMax that is not long for this world.

Mobile phone giant Sprint is abandoning its WiMax network as it shifts to the more-modern Long Term Evolution standard, which the other major carriers also use. That is good for typical consumers, but bad news for PCs for People's disadvantaged customers. And other nonprofit organizations that offer similar low-cost, high-speed Internet access around the country face a similar dilemma. What happens now is up for debate. PCs for People said Sprint is required to put in place a substitute service that works on its LTE network. This would involve a swap of customers' WiMax-based wireless modems for LTE-based gear of comparable functionality on or before Nov. 6. The wireless devices are the equivalent of cable modems, but get their online connectivity over the air instead of via physical wires. Sprint said it is sympathetic but cannot move forward with a new low-cost Internet offering without contract terms it considers fair.