Apple has compelled Comcast and Charter Communications to sell other devices -- such as iPads, Apple TV boxes and Watches -- in order to carry the iPhone as part of their mobile services, sources told CNBC. The cable companies offer cell service as part of a wholesaler agreement with Verizon.

AT&T has joined Best Buy and Samsung among retailers who have canceled preorders of the Galaxy Fold smartphone. AT&T said it would issue refunds for those who paid in advance, and customers can reorder the foldable phone once Samsung announces a new release date.

Alaskan emergency response teams and police are praising FirstNet, the national public-safety network AT&T is building, saying it has made them more effective in reacting to earthquakes and other crises as well as more mundane matters. "It makes my job easier; makes it much more efficient," said T. Scott Masten, an officer in Anchorage.

The number of people who primarily connect to the internet via their smartphones has nearly doubled since 2013, the Pew Research Center reports, with the trend especially acute among respondents aged 18 to 29. Pew says 37% use phones as their primary connection link, a figure that climbs to 58% among the younger demographic, with 23% of all responders saying they don't need a wired broadband link because of their phones.

Instead of trying to hide or ignore a mistake, approach your boss immediately about what happened and suggest ways to fix the problem and strategies for avoiding it in the future, writes University of Texas at Austin professor Art Markman. "Ultimately, this approach will help your supervisor to recognize that you can handle responsibility, because you take ownership of your mistakes and work to correct them," Markman writes.