Sprint Gives Free Mobile Service to Students; 'We Are Failing' Kids Lacking Web Connections, CEO Says

Sprint will give away mobile devices and free wireless internet for up to four years to 1 million low-income high-school students, the carrier said in a news release Tuesday. Sprint will team with nonprofits including EveryoneOn and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. Students get a free smartphone, tablet, laptop or hot spot device with 3 GB of 4G LTE data monthly, Sprint said; speeds fall to 2G levels if a student exceeds the quota. "It’s a huge problem in America that we have 5 million households with children that lack internet connections," said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. "We are failing them.” A challenging aspect of "providing free wireless service for students is understanding the appropriate level of data usage to offer,” said Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition Executive Director John Windhausen. “The pilot program can be used to better understand data usage levels and needs, and may justify an increase in the 3 GB data cap as usage grows.”