Apple holds on in China, AT&T certifies IoT modules … 5 things to know today

1. Apple said Chinese authorities have not yet locked the iPhone 6 and 6s out of the Chinese market. The Chinese government moved to block sales of the two devices, saying their design infringed on a Chinese patent held by a company called Shenzhen Baili.
China is Apple’s largest market, and the loss of that market for its two flagship devices would be a significant blow. The Cupertino, California, company said late last week that the order has been stayed pending review by the Beijing intellectual property court.

2. AT&T announced the certification of its Category 1 LTE modules for “internet of things” applications. The single mode LTE module, first announced at Mobile World Congress, was developed by Wistron NeWeb using Altair’s Cat-1 LTE modem. Category-1 LTE modems provide less power than the LTE modems found in smartphones, which means their cost is much lower. AT&T will sell the modules to its customers for $15 plus tax.
“Based on standardized design, these modules can help drive down the costs of LTE connectivity to help businesses gain competitive advantage through IoT,” said Chris Penrose, SVP, AT&T IoT solutions. “Our customers will be able to deploy a wide range of IoT solutions more efficiently and upgrade to Cat-M1.” Penrose said the company sees applications for the Category-1 modules in smart cities, industrial enterprise and wearables applications.
3. Seven current and former Ericsson employees have been summoned in a preliminary investigation by a Greek prosecutor involving allegations of possible corruption. The investigation is related to an airborne radar system sold to Greece by Ericsson Microwave Systems, which the Swedish company sold 10 years ago. Ericsson said it has not been contacted by any authorities in relation to this investigation.
Meanwhile, a Swedish newspaper is bringing a U.S. investigation of Ericsson back into the spotlight. The Securities an Exchange Commission launched an investigation of the Swedish company’s international business practices more than three years ago. Ericsson is subject to U.S. anti-corruption laws because its shares trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Authorities are investigating claims that Ericsson’s former employees may have paid foreign government officials in order to win contracts. The initial investigation was focused on Romania, but the Swedish report this month said officials also may have questions about activities in China. Ericsson said then and now that it is cooperating with U.S. authorities.
4. The Wireless Broadband Alliance has designated June 20 World Wi-Fi Day. The service provider group said the day’s purpose is to recognize and celebrate the significant role Wi-Fi is playing in getting cities and communities around the world connected, helping to bridge the digital divide.
5. AT&T, Comcast and other service providers want more input on the rules that will govern set-top boxes for pay TV. According to Reuters, the companies want to separate content from hardware by delivering programming through applications, which they said could be regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
Earlier this year, the FCC proposed a plan to “unlock the box” by allowing services like Netflix and Amazon Prime to deliver services through consumers’ existing set-top boxes.
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