Sprint and Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless announced an agreement giving Sprint subscribers free access to Boingo Wi-Fi networks at 35 major U.S. airports. Sprint devices will be able to connect to Boingo hot spots automatically, “providing service at the fastest speeds available, be that cellular from Sprint or Wi-Fi from Boingo,” the companies said in a Thursday news release. “The auto-authenticating Wi-Fi connections are available at no additional charge to all Sprint customers with capable devices, and usage while connected to Wi-Fi does not count towards a customer’s monthly service plan.” The companies said they conducted successful market trials with millions of Sprint handsets. “With Wi-Fi being the world’s largest wireless ecosystem, we view it as a highly complementary layer to our network,” said Stephen Bye, Sprint chief technology officer.

While Apple’s strong Q1 sales were largely driven by smartphone growth in China (see 1504280034), China’s overall year-on-year market growth in the quarter “flattened significantly," said Melissa Chau, senior research manager at International Data Corp (IDC). Apple and Samsung will continue for the rest of the year to battle it out at the high end of the smartphone market with their 6 series smartphones, but all vendors will be “squeezed on falling ASPs" (average selling prices), she said. Apple’s challenge for the No. 1 smartphone spot in Q4 “returned to a clear lead for Samsung in Q1," said Anthony Scarsella, IDC research manager.

A new survey paid for by CTIA found that 61 percent of Americans who own smartphones and tablets use PINs and passwords to protect them, a 20 percent increase from 2012. CTIA said the increase is a reason for the reported decline in device thefts. The FCC has made curbing device theft a priority. Recent data suggests device thefts are down 40 percent in London, 22 percent in San Francisco and 16 percent in New York City, according to numbers released at the April meeting of the FCC Technological Advisory Council (see 1504010055). “One of the reasons for this increase by Americans to protect their personal data stored on smartphones and tablets is thanks to the collective wireless industry’s consumer education activities as well as the initiatives developed by individual companies,” CTIA said. Harris Poll conducted the online survey. CTIA released only preliminary results, the association said Thursday.

Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman promised in a blog post the FCC will do a “thorough and comprehensive” review of all remaining long form applications to buy AWS-3 licenses. The FCC on Wednesday sought comment on license applications from nine bidders in the auction, including eight designated entities (see 1504290039). Among them were the applications by two Dish Network-affiliated DEs. “In parallel, bureau staff will continue to rigorously assess applicants’ compliance with commission rules,” Sherman wrote. “If any petitions to deny are filed, they will be considered as part of our substantive review, he said. "We will consider each application on its own merits and make licensing and any bidding credit decisions according to the specific facts and totality of circumstances in the record.”" The FCC hasn't made any decisions on the applications on which it sought comment, he said. “They're complex and important matters, "and we have a long way to go in our review before we reach final conclusions on all of the applications,"” Sherman said. "While it would be inappropriate to make any predictions or judgments about any particular application, it is certain that staff's review of the applications will be rigorous and methodical. At the end of this process we will issue licenses only to entities that meet our eligibility standards.””

The Iowa Utilities Board is concerned that without adequate safeguards smaller competitors will be unable to fairly compete for spectrum in the upcoming incentive auction, it said in an FCC filing posted Wednesday in docket 12-268. IUB backed the recommendation the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates made March 19. Increased concentration of low-band spectrum will mean fewer choices for consumers, IUB said. Having fewer choices puts rural markets in jeopardy and eventually harms consumers, the board said. It supports robust competition and encourages the commission to ensure that the smaller wireless competitors have a fair opportunity to acquire spectrum, the IUB said.

Launch of a new coalition to raise concerns about AT&T and Verizon "dominance" of low-band spectrum is nothing more than “old whine in new bottles,” AT&T Vice President Joan Marsh said Wednesday in a blog post. The SaveWirelessChoice coalition launched Monday (see 1504270037). “Based on the group’s opening advocacy salvo, I don’t expect much in the way of any new or insightful arguments,” Marsh said. “For example, they have revived the old myth that AT&T and Verizon were awarded half of their low band spectrum ‘for free’ -- a claim that has been so thoroughly refuted I’m surprised it’s still treated as news.” Marsh said that AT&T got almost 97 percent of its low-frequency spectrum through auction or a secondary market transaction. “AT&T’s ultimate predecessor, Southwestern Bell, was originally assigned Cellular B-block licenses in only a small number of license areas covering portions of only five states,” she said. The TV incentive auction "isn’t just about AT&T or Sprint or T-Mobile or any one of the 100 other competitive carriers CCA represents," responded Rebecca Thompson, general counsel at the Competitive Carriers Association. "It’s about the American consumer, rural and urban alike, and preserving the integrity of a competitive mobile ecosystem. ... Competitive carriers must have meaningful opportunities to acquire spectrum in the upcoming auction, and our members are committed to ensuring this becomes a reality. AT&T is correct that this concept is not new or novel, but it’s the right public policy for consumers."

T-Mobile subscriber rolls continued to expand, with 1.8 million total net adds and 1.1 million branded, postpaid adds in its Q1, it said Tuesday. T-Mobile reported total revenue of $7.8 billion, up 13.1 percent from last year and slightly above consensus estimates. Loss of $63 million was also higher than expected. T-Mobile also said its postpaid churn rate was its lowest ever at 1.3 percent. The carrier’s 700 MHz A-block spectrum has now been deployed in 55 markets, it said. CEO John Legere said on T-Mobile’s financial call Tuesday: “I will carefully say that we are very confident that our postpaid results are the best in the industry by a long shot and that we have captured all of the industry postpaid phone growth in the first quarter.” But Legere also responded to criticism from some on social media that T-Mobile was throttling high-use subscribers. Legere said he's aware of criticism posted on Reddit. “I think what I'm watching happening is we must have some high-volume users who are in congested areas who are looking at their speeds and believing that they are being throttled and putting several items together on threads,” he said. “But I want to reiterate, we do not throttle 4G LTE unlimited customers.” Legere was asked about T-Mobile’s partnership with Google. Google announced last week its new MVNO would ride on T-Mobile’s and Sprint’s networks (see 1504220059). Legere said the company isn't going to unveil the terms of its agreement with Google. “The last thing in my mind right now is how to unhook Google,” he added. “I think this is one of the most exciting things that's going on.” Legere also said he expects the TV incentive auction to take place, as promised by the FCC, in early 2016.

The FCC appears increasingly likely to require Dish Network to pay out the extra $3.3 billion it saved during the AWS-3 auction by buying AWS-3 licenses using bidding credits through two designated entities (DEs), industry officials said. The Wireless Bureau has been looking closely at the bidding by SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless, the two DEs working with Dish in the auction, industry sources confirmed. Chairman Tom Wheeler repeatedly has said the FCC would look closely at bidding in the auction (see 1504090053). Other carriers have been at the commission laying out their versions of how the bidding by the DEs allegedly violated rules, most recently Verizon (see 1504270042). Dish has said repeatedly it did no wrong in the auction and its use of the DEs was in keeping with FCC rules. A wireless carrier official said it wouldn't appear to be “in Tom Wheeler’s DNA” to approve the AWS-3 licenses for Dish at the reduced prices. Industry sources said it's within the FCC's power to offer the licenses to Dish at full price. “It's a Solomonic decision by Chairman Wheeler,” said Roger Entner, analyst at Recon Analytics. “It makes the taxpayer whole and gives Dish, through its partners, quick access to the spectrum.” The FCC declined to comment.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau provided an update of its Public Safety Answering Point Text-to-911 Readiness and Certification Registry. The registry lists PSAPs that are ready to receive text-to-911 messages and provides notice to carriers and other providers of interconnected text messaging services of the PSAP’s date of readiness.

Roughly only two in every 10 Americans between 18 and 65 have any interest in owning an Apple Watch, said Horizon Media’s online survey of a sample of 3,000 people reflective of the U.S. population, the advertising agency said in a report. Earlier Horizon research found about half of smartphone users expressed interest in using Apple Pay when it launched, more than twice as many as are interested in Apple Watch now, it said. “The high level of negativity is a clear signal consumers are questioning the value of yet another connected device, even if it is from Apple." Apple Watch’s $349-and-up price tag was a deterrent for 73 percent of those surveyed, and 53 percent expressed displeasure at owning another connected device, said Horizon.