T-Mobile Adds 70 Countries to International Data, Text Plan

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T-Mobile this week announced the addition of 70 more countries to the list of nations covered by its international data and texting platform.

The move brings the total number of counties with unlimited text and data under T-Mobile ONE plans to more than 210. T-Mobile service in the additional countries will begin Sunday.

The carrier also debuted a daily data pass for international travelers that will be available in those countries as of Aug. 1. The pass would cost $5 per day and allow customers to access 512 MB of 4G LTE data and unlimited calling.

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AT&T Identifies Three More Cities in its Mobile 5G Rollout

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AT&T has unveiled half of the cities that will see the introduction of its mobile 5G service this year.

The carrier in January announced plans to be the first U.S. carrier to roll out mobile 5G by debuting the service in 12 markets by the end of the year. In April, the company announced the first three cities — Atlanta, Dallas and Waco, Texas — and on Friday it added Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., to the list.

“We’re on track to launch the first mobile 5G services and deliver the first device to customers this year,” AT&T Technology & Operations President Melissa Arnoldi said in a statement.

AT&T officials argued the company deliberately sought out mid-sized cities as part of its 5G rollout because “all Americans should have access to next-gen connectivity” — a jab at T-Mobile officials planning to upgrade their networks in New York, Los Angeles and other major cities.

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Ericsson Reports First Quarterly Profit Since 2016

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Ericsson on Wednesday reported its first quarterly operating profit since the fall of 2016 as its results beat analysts’ expectations for the April through June reporting period.

The Swedish telecom equipment giant, which slashed thousands of jobs and overhauled its management team during a prolonged downturn in the segment, disclosed a second-quarter operating margin of 0.3 percent.

Its adjusted gross margin, meanwhile, reached 36.7 percent; Bloomberg reported that analysts predicted the closely watched metric would hit just more than 35 percent.

“It’s been tons of hard work in the company, but it is rewarding to see that hard work now paying off,” President and CEO Börje Ekholm said on the company’s earnings call, according to a transcript.

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Contradictory call times sow confusion in Putnam County murder trial

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Jurors in the Clifford Andersen Jr. murder trial in Putnam County were sent home Monday with extra warnings not to “jump to any conclusions” after the day’s final prosecution witness appeared to create confusion by contradicting a key element in the prosecution’s case.

Lynn McCloskey, a criminal analyst with the Illinois State Police, testified that cellphone calls between Andersen and victim Deborah Dewey on Aug. 22, 2016, were greater in number and later in the day than prosecutors and other witnesses had previously stated.

That was the day that the Ladd woman disappeared early in the morning and was allegedly beaten to death by her brother-in-law in a vacant house in Standard and later buried in a shallow grave in the yard outside. He’s standing trial on charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death.

A key component in the case has been the claim that the 68-year-old Standard man was the last person to talk to her, and that has been supported partly by reference to phone records. Prosecutors have maintained that Andersen called her at about 7:44 a.m., 7:49, 8:10, 8:37, and 11:42, with the last call going unanswered.

Read More from The Journal Star Here

Driver’s License? There’s an App to Carry That in Louisiana

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Louisiana residents can now carry their driver’s license on their smartphone.

News outlets report a new phone app, created through a 2016 state law, offers a digital version of the Louisiana driver’s license, allowing motorists an option aside from carrying a physical license.

The smartphone app is called LA Wallet . Though the app is free to download, a $5.99 charge is required to activate the license. Once activated, LA Wallet enables cellphones to display an image of the physical driver’s license.

“Most people never leave home without their smartphone, and with this app they will never be without their driver’s license,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement.

The digital license is good for the life of the issuance. When the physical license expires, motorists will have to renew their license with the state Office of Motor Vehicles and buy a new digital license.

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