US telecommunications operator Verizon has announced that it plans to rollout 5G fixed wireless services in five major cities across the country in 2018. The development would represent the first application of 5G wireless in the United States.

A US telecommunications colossus has made an exciting announcement in relation to a major pilot program it is set to embark on later this year. Verizon is set to offer fixed wireless '5G' services in 11 markets by the end of June. The pilot program is aimed at defining the parameters for 5G specifications in advance of future standards and will be based on Verizon's 5G Technology Forum (5GTF) which includes heavyweights such as Qualcomm, Cisco, Ericsson, Samsung and Intel.

As they say, the third time is a charm! T-Mobile and Sprint tell us they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.10256 T-Mobile shares for each Sprint share or the equivalent of 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile US share. Based on closing share prices on April 27, this represents a total implied enterprise value of approximately $59 billion for Sprint and approximately $146 billion for the combined company. The new company will have a strong closing balance sheet and a fully funded business plan with a strong foundation of secured investment grade debt at close.

A US House of Representatives panel has vetoed a proposal which will enable car manufacturers to deploy up to 100,000 self-driving vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards and bar states from imposing driverless car rules.

A US ride-services firm has bolstered its attempts to compete for market share with its fierce and larger rival Uber Technologies Inc. by raising $600m in fresh funding. Lyft which was launched in 2012 - has continued to invest in its growth in order to expand its services. This year, the company has extended its services to 100 new cities.

A US road safety body has issued a call for the federal government to introduce tougher regulations and standards in relation to autonomous driving following two recent fatalities which occurred on US roads in the past fortnight.

US self-driving company NuTonomy, has announced plans to launch a paid, commercial service in Singapore. The US startup publicly announced its plans last week, and believes it will be in a position to deploy its services in Singapore by the second quarter of next year.

US technology colossus Apple has been awarded a permit which allows them to test autonomous vehicles in California. The decision to grant the permit has only served to heighten speculation that Apple is working on self-driving technology and is set to join a growing number of companies with ambitions to offer self-driving vehicles to the masses.

The Department of Transportation in the US state of Minnesota has announced that it has officially commenced trials of its new driverless bus shuttles. The US state becomes the latest in a whole host of North American cities to trial new autonomous technology which if tested successfully will be subsequently integrated into its public transportation sector.

The sun-drenched US state of California has pledged its commitment to protecting the environment by passing new legislation that aims to make the state have a 100% clean electricity grid by 2045.

The US state of Virginia has announced that it has selected a mobility analytics expert to integrate an intelligent transportation system aimed at alleviating and addressing urban mobility issues that have plagued the state.

A comprehensive study released by CTIA, a US-based industry association of wireless carriers - has claimed that China remains ahead of South Korea in the race to develop and subsequently deploy 5G networks.

US technology giant Apple has pulled off a major coup by acquiring the services of a high-profile AI expert from rivals Google.

IBM has formally announced the launch of its Innovation and Industry Client Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Inaugurated under the patronage of the Abu Dhabi Government, the center aims to fast track the digital transformation of both public and private organizations through advanced technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, blockchain, security, analytics, Internet of Things and quantum computing.

A US startup that is developing a supersonic rail transit system which it claims will represent the future of public transportation, has announced that it will construct a research center worth $500m in Spain. Virgin Hyperloop One reached an agreement with Spanish state-owned rail infrastructure firm ADIF after a series of protracted talks.

US whistleblower Chelsea Manning has called for a regulatory framework to be created with regards to the development of AI and machine learning. According to Manning who is a former US army intelligence analyst, mass surveillance by government agencies is increasing and getting worse.

UK telecommunications colossus Vodafone is launching a consumer IoT product which will allow its customers to connect millions of home and leisure electronic products to the company's dedicated global IoT network, which is subsequently the largest in the world.

German car manufacturing firm Volkswagen has delighted their customers by publicly announcing its plans to reincarnate its famous microbus! The iconic VW microbus which became a symbol of hippie counterculture in the 60's was in production from 1950-1980.

Washington DC has been awarded a global award for its outstanding leadership in energy, sustainability and environmental design. The US capital achieved its sustainability targets under the 'Smarter DC' program - and it now becomes the first ever recipient of the LEED Cities Platinum award.

Indianapolis has been named as the most 'connected city' in the United States. The state is recognized as a continued leader identified when it comes to embracing technology and innovation in order to bridge the 'digital divide'.