Apple Pay launches in the UK; Sprint expands Direct 2 You service to more markets

More wireless news from across the Web:

> LightSquared said in an FCC filing that because no one had filed a petition of opposition for it to regain control of its spectrum licenses that the agency should move quickly to approve the transfer once a standard national security review has been completed. Filing

> Sprint expanded its Direct 2 You service to Dallas, Washington, D.C., Detroit and Tampa, Fla. PhoneScoop article

> Apple Pay launched in the UK with a few minor hiccups. Reuters article

> One of the last remaining independent small cell vendors, ip.access, is reportedly looking for a buyer. Light Reading article

> Rice University engineers have demonstrated the first system that allows wireless data transmissions over UHF channels during active TV broadcasts. Phys.org article

> Instagram said that it now has 14 million monthly active users in the UK. Business Insider article

> Shares of ZTE were set to surge more than 30 percent in Tuesday trading after its board approved an A-share buyback plan estimated at no more $161 million. Reuters article

Mobile Developer News

> The biggest competition for indie app developers may not be other indie app developers, or even larger publishers and brands. It might be the warmer weather, the smell of barbecues and all those photos from friends' cottages in their Facebook feed. That, and the desolating sense that they just can't keep on doing what they're doing. Editor's Corner

> Sixty percent of developers now fall under the "app poverty line," making less than $500 per month, and 15 percent are making no revenue at all, according to Vision Mobile. Article

Cable News

> Apple reportedly still wants to include local station feeds of the Big Four broadcast networks in a new over-the-top video service, and the company has reportedly found a way to handle the tricky problem of carving out licensing deals with hundreds of local network-affiliate stations. Article

> In a move it says underscores the value of data-driven marketing and sales, Cox Communications has promoted its sales and marketing chief, Mark Greatrex, to executive VP. Article

Telecom News

> Verizon's troubles in New York City continue to mount as Mayor Bill de Blasio is requiring City Hall to approve any business local agencies do with the service provider, a measure focused on getting it to fulfill its goal to wire the city with FiOS fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) service. Article

> US Telecom says that the FCC's call to mandate that ILECs (incumbent local exchange carriers) provide IP services to competitive telcos at comparable prices to legacy TDM services could actually delay the U.S. telecom industry's migration to all-IP networks. Article

And finally… Samsung may be exploring ways to measure body fat through smartphones. Article