News of Note—German carmakers pursue 5G; iPhone’s aversion to helium and more

Here are some other stories we’re following today:

> German carmakers are looking to deploy their own 5G networks in order to start manufacturing self-driving cars by 2021. RCR News article

> Apparently Apple iPhones can shut down when exposed to helium, sometimes for days at a time. Extreme Tech article

> FirstNet's board now has five new members. Urgent Communications article

> T-Mobile is offering a free line of service on its unlimited plan. Cnet article

> A former Time Warner Cable executive has joined T-Mobile's "Home and Entertainment" division, which houses its Layer3 TV acquisition. Light Reading article

> Verizon is offering a year of Amazon Prime to its FiOS internet customers. Release

> Allot Communications will provide its Allot Service Gateway for the data centers of KPN. Telecompaper post

> Russian 5G networks will provide coverage to over 80% of the country’s population by 2025, according to a new study by the GSMA. RCR News article

> Rakuten, which is scheduled to enter the mobile space in Japan in October 2019, signed a deal that will see it use KDDI’s 4G network in return for helping the operator launch a payment service. Mobile World Live article