A Motorola Mod due out later this year will bring Alexa voice control to the Moto Z smartphone, a Motorola blog post said Monday. With the Alexa Mod, users will be able to control smart home devices, check news, make lists and request an Uber ride, Motorola said. Other upcoming Mods: the Moto Power Pack ($49, March), said to add 50 percent more battery life to the phone without adding bulk; a wireless charging Mod; and a Gamepad Mod that turns the phone into a mobile gaming console with physical controls and integrated battery, the company said.

The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau sought comment on a T-Mobile request for clarity of one requirement of the FCC December order establishing a common standard for the transition from text technology (TTY) to real-time text (RTT). The order "in places, seems to inaccurately describe the way carriers deliver calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs),” the carrier earlier complained (see 1702240035) in docket 16-145. T-Mobile seeks clarification of the obligation of carriers to deliver calls to PSAPs using an Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESINet), the bureau said Monday. "T-Mobile requests that the Commission clarify that it did not intend to change the way carriers deliver calls to PSAPs using an ESINet,” the public notice said. “To the extent the Commission intended to shift the burden of conversion of RTT to TTY from the ESINet to wireless carriers, T-Mobile alternatively seeks reconsideration of that determination and requests that the Commission refrain from placing this obligation on wireless carriers.” Comments are due March 14, replies March 29.

Wi-Fi advocates are collectively holding their breath as carriers start to deploy LTE-unlicensed, said Fletcher Heald lawyer Mitchell Lazarus in a blog post. The FCC said Wednesday it certified the first LTE-U devices (see 1702220066). “The announcement reiterates that coexistence with other unlicensed devices is not an FCC requirement,” wrote Lazarus. “But it mentions that the new devices were successfully evaluated for coexistence under a test plan worked out by industry -- in this case, LTE-U and Wi-Fi stakeholders under the auspices of the Wi-Fi Alliance.” Lazarus, who represents wireless clients, noted Wi-Fi is inexpensive and loved by consumers because it always works. “The real test of coexistence between Wi-Fi and LTE-U begins now, in the millions of homes and offices that rely on both Wi-Fi and cell phones to stay connected,” he said.

T-Mobile sought clarification of one aspect of the FCC December order establishing a common standard for the transition from text technology (TTY) to real-time text (RTT), an order approved 5-0 under former Chairman Tom Wheeler (see 1612150048). The order "in places, seems to inaccurately describe the way carriers deliver calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in some cases,” the carrier said in a filing in docket 16-145. “T-Mobile therefore requests the Commission clarify carrier obligations with respect to delivery of RTT calls to PSAPs using an Emergency Services IP Network to ensure that regulatory requirements do not conflict with real-world deployments.”

High-ranking government officials from France and Germany are backing EU legislation that could jeopardize encrypted communications across Europe, said Christian Borggreen, Computer & Communications Industry Association director-international policy, in a blog post Friday. He said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and his French counterpart, Bruno Le Roux, sent a letter last week to European Commission officials seeking legislation in October after both countries' general elections. Borggreen said the letter, which is written in French, is a "u-turn" from the EU's prior "strong opposition" to back doors. He also cited a Politico story that reported an EC spokesperson seemed to endorse the proposal. Borggreen said it's unclear how service providers would give law enforcement access to encrypted data. It would "pose serious risks to the overall security and confidentiality of Europeans’ communications, which seems inconsistent with existing legal protections for personal data," he wrote. The EC's justice spokesman and French and German interior ministry offices didn't respond to emails seeking comment.

CBRS Alliance founding members Nokia and Federated Wireless said they’re working together on an LTE technology for the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service band. Nokia will provide indoor and outdoor CBRS small cells through its Flexi Zone solution, and shared-spectrum company Federated is offering a cloud-based spectrum controller giving operators a “cost-effective and dynamic option for accessing this new spectrum,” the companies said in a Friday news release. “The CBRS 3.5 GHz band provides much needed spectrum to meet the rapidly growing demand for wireless network capacity, while addressing potential interference and coordination issues with new spectrum sharing and management techniques. Operators have taken notice, and several US operators have escalated their plans to trial the new technology as they continue to densify their mobile networks and prepare for 5G.”

Verizon will deliver 5G pre-commercial services to some customers in 11 markets throughout the U.S. starting in the first half of the year, the carrier said Wednesday in a news release. “Verizon's 5G build is the largest proving ground in the world and encompasses several hundred cell sites that cover several thousand customer locations." The company plans to start offering 5G to pilot customers in: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta; Bernardsville, New Jersey; Brockton, Massachusetts; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Miami; Sacramento; Seattle and Washington, D.C. “This is another important step in commercializing gigabit broadband service to homes and offices via a wireless 5G connection,” Verizon said. The launch "leverages the close collaboration" with Verizon's 5G Technology Forum partners, the company said. The news release quotes officials from Ericsson and Samsung Electronics. "Ericsson's partnership with Verizon in rolling out 5G customer trials is accelerating the global 5G ecosystem," said Rima Qureshi, head of Region North America for Ericsson. "These end-to-end solutions are a key step for preparing Verizon's network for commercial deployment with different 5G scenarios and use cases."

Verizon announced a new 2 GB prepaid plan, at $40 per month. The carrier already lists plans offering 5 GB of data at $50 per month and 10 GB at $70. "We're making it simpler for our prepaid customers to enjoy all of the benefits of a network that can keep up with their digital lifestyles," said Ron Zanders, Verizon director-prepaid, in a news release. "Whether you use a little data or a lot of data, we've got a prepaid plan that fits your needs." Verizon also offers a $30 basic phone plan with unlimited talk and text.

T-Mobile and subscriber Paul Armbruster told the FCC they resolved a fight over whether T-Mobile is exempt from liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act because it doesn’t charge for text messages. An arbitration order sided with the company and found Armbruster can't revoke consent to receive unwanted text messages from the carrier. In January, he asked for a declaratory ruling from the FCC resolving some of the issues raised by the arbitration order. Armbuster also filed a motion for reconsideration with the arbitrator. Lawyers for T-Mobile and Armbruster asked to withdraw the January petition. “Pending a decision on the motion for reconsideration, the parties resolved their dispute, rendering the requests set forth in the Petition moot,” said a filing in docket 02-278. “The Parties hereby respectfully request that Petitioner be granted leave to withdraw the Petition.” Armbruster is a T-Mobile customer, “and at a certain point in 2015 began to receive text messages from 1-Mobile advertising products like, T-Mobile's ‘gift finder’ for father's day, and ‘T-Mobile LG tablet offer,’” said the January petition. He called T-Mobile customer support “where he was told that he cannot opt-out because ‘the FCC requires T-Mobile to send the messages,’” the petition said.

Leman Micro Devices is readying a sensor and app designed to measure blood pressure and other vital signs for submission to the Food and Drug Administration and other global regulatory agencies, it said in a Thursday announcement. Leman uses the Riva-Rocci technique to measure blood pressure, but instead of using a cuff on the arm the app tells users how hard to push their finger against a sensor built into a smartphone, said the company. It said the sensor also gives “medically-accurate” readings of body temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart and respiration rates, and the five measurements are performed in under 60 seconds. The system differs from current wearables that “are not approved and often inaccurate,” said the Switzerland-based company. The app and sensor require factory installation, CEO Mark-Eric Jones emailed us, and the sensor would replace the existing heart rate and blood oxygen sensors in some smartphones. In addition to noncontact measurement of body temperature, the infrared thermometer can be used to check temperature of wine, hot drinks and other objects without touching them, he said. The company will submit the app to the FDA later this year, it said.