The Federal Communications Commission issued its order allowing T-Mobile to merge with Sprint, pending the result of a federal court trial that starts next month, after a 3-2 party line vote. The Republican commissioners acceded to the merger after the carriers agreed to a series of concessions aimed at enabling DISH Network to become a viable fourth major carrier.

DISH Network is all in on building a 5G network even though the future of the T-Mobile-Sprint tie-up remains clouded in uncertainty, Charlie Ergen, the company chairman, told analysts. The satellite provider said it will hold a rights offering for $1 billion to raise funds for the project, which Ergen said would be less costly than rival carriers' efforts because DISH is using more advanced, software-oriented technology.

The Federal Communications Commission asked groups of broadcast stations to enter negotiations with AT&T's DIRECTV after five months during which some customers have lacked access to certain channels. Two of the groups have reached deals with AT&T, but seven are still in conflict.

The US Department of Agriculture awarded a $27.5 million grant to a rural broadband provider in Clinton, N.C., as well as a $4.2 million loan to an Oklahoma telecom under the USDA's ReConnect Pilot Program, a $600 million fund Congress created in 2018. Star Telephone Membership Corp. will hook up 8,750 homes in Clinton while the Oklahoma Western Telephone Co. will help 300 households.

Consumers rated battery life as the most important feature in a new smartphone, with storage, camera quality and display resolution coming next in that order, in a GlobalWebIndex survey of 575,000 UK and US residents. Newer technologies, such as biometric security, augmented and virtual reality and digital wellness were among the lowest on the wish list.

Smart speakers and voice technology are increasingly wending their way from the consumer world to B2B processes. To optimize this technology, B2B marketers need to use natural, everyday language -- and work closely with sales to deploy the right words and/or terms.

Roku has rolled out an Apple Watch app that enables users to control its streaming device from the watch. The app offers voice search features and quick access to favorite channels.

Tech giants and startups alike are working to develop augmented reality smart glasses that are sleek and fashionable enough to be worn all day. Tech writer Todd Haselton offers an update on the technology, which advocates say could eventually replace smartphones and even computers.

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