DataXoom to offer LTE, EV-DO and HSPA+ from top U.S. wireless carriers; Walmart cuts iPhone 5s, 5c prices for AT&T, Verizon

Quick news from around the Web.

@FierceWireless: Privacy advocates blast AT&T's alleged sale of info to CIA. Article via @CNETFollow@FierceWireless

> Samsung is reportedly nearing an agreement for the European Union's investigation into antitrust activities. Article

> The U.S. International Trade Commission will review Nokia's win against HTC on patent infringements. Article

> Southwest Airlines plans to charge users $2 to conduct iMessage conversations. Article

> CounterPoint Research found that the iPhone 5s now accounts for 10 percent of all iPhones in China. Article. Separately, the group found that the iPhone 5s also beat Samsung's Galaxy S4 as the top smartphone worldwide. Article

> Apple won a legal victory against Samsung in South Korea over patent infringement. Article

> Samsung is shifting some of its smartphone manufacturing from China to Vietnam to secure cheaper labor there. Article

> Startup DataXoom said it will sell LTE, EV-DO and HSPA+ services to enterprise tablets, mobile hotspots, USB modems, and specialty devices thanks to wholesale agreements it now has with three of the nation's four top wireless carriers. Release

> C Spire announced plans to acquire Callis Communications, which C Spire said is a "fast-growing provider of cloud-based unified communications as a service for businesses. " Article

> The FCC said it issued a total of $44 million in fines against Cintex Wireless ($9,461,978), Telrite Corporation ($22,399,761) and Global Connection ($11,702,695) for abuse of the government's Lifeline program. Release

> The FCC is seeking comment on the Competitive Carriers Association's proposal to auction spectrum licenses on smaller geographic sizes called Partial Economic Areas (PEAs). Filing

> Citigroup recommends that investors sell their shares in struggling BlackBerry. Article

> Verizon Communications said it might skip a vote on a proposal that would detail the company's participation in government surveillance. Article

> AT&T has been accused of violating privacy law due to its sale of phone records to the CIA. Article

> The chief of the NSA said the agency's collection of cell phone location data on Americans is "incidental." Article

> Sprint and Verizon Wireless denied they rejected a request by prosecutors in New York to install a "kill switch" on smartphones to prevent theft. Article

> ProtectCELL announced a partnership with Bluegrass Cellular to launch Bluegrass Phone Cloud, powered by ProtectCELL, which will offer services including mobile contact backup and mobile device data protection. Release

> Walmart is reducing the price of the iPhone 5s and 5c on AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. Article

Wireless Tech News

> T-Mobile US' COO said all of the carrier's handsets will accommodate 20x20 MHz LTE. Article

> Technically speaking, network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) do not need to be deployed together. Yet many vendors attending the Carrier Network Virtualization event, sponsored by Informa Telecoms & Media, contend carrier-grade NFV actually does need SDN to come to full fruition. Article

> The use of micro-location as a boost for retail sales and other applications is getting more attention. Not only did this week bring news from Qualcomm regarding a new commercial product release, but a startup also raked in a seed round of funding to launch its beacon business. Article

Telecom News

> Verizon's stalled FiOS expansion will drive consumers to cable. Editor's Corner

> NBN Co. has named Vodafone Australia's chief Bill Morrow as its CEO, signaling the start of a new era at the troubled Australian service provider. Article

Cable News

> Canoe Ventures struck a deal with Walt Disney Co.'s ABC broadcast network and ABC Family that will see the networks deliver dynamic ads in video-on-demand programming. Article

> Former top Time Warner Cable engineer John Callahan told interactive TV application developers at a conference here Wednesday that he doesn't see a lot of potential for them in the Reference Design Kit software platform that TWC and Comcast are relying on to introduce next-generation interactive TV services. Article

European Wireless News

> Only a week after Free Mobile announced it had added LTE to its €19.99  ($27.60) mobile plan for no extra charge, the Iliad-owned operator is now including the high-speed service in its €2-a-month plan. Article

> Israeli operator Cellcom said it plans to share the construction and operation of an LTE network under a 15-year agreement with rivals Pelephone and Golan Telecom in order to meet the growing demand for mobile data services while keeping costs down. Article

> Orange will cut up to 2,950 employees in Poland by 2015. Article

And finally… Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is now available on iOS. Article