WIRELESS
T-Mobile settles dispute over unlimited data plans
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are slapping T-Mobile with millions of dollars in fines and other requirements after consumers complained that the wireless carrier misled them with its advertising on unlimited data. T-Mobile has agreed to pay $7.5 million to the government and to compensate affected consumers with $35.5 million worth of additional mobile data and discounts on phone accessories. The federal inquiry, which began last year, targeted T-Mobile’s marketing of unlimited data plans. Unlike many phone plans with monthly data caps, unlimited data plans generally don’t charge overage fees when a customer uses too much data. But the FCC said Wednesday it had received hundreds of complaints about T-Mobile degrading the mobile data connections of its most data-hungry unlimited users. T-Mobile’s fine print states that the top three percent of data users will temporarily have their network usage de-prioritized — that is, kicked to the back of the line — when other customers are trying to use a heavily congested cell site. Under the terms of the settlement, T-Mobile will also have to provide at least $5 million in free tablets or other devices to children in low-income school districts, as well as free mobile data for their schools and families for four years. — WASHINGTON POST
AUTOMOTIVE
Jeep Wranglers recalled over faulty airbag wiring
DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 224,000 Jeep Wrangler sport utility vehicles worldwide because the airbags may not inflate in a crash. The recall covers certain 2016 and 2017 Wranglers. The company says in government documents that wiring to a sensor can come loose, cutting off signals to an airbag computer. If that happens, the seat belt pretensioners won’t work and the airbags will not deploy. The company says no one has been hurt because the airbags didn’t inflate and no customers have complained. The problem was discovered during company crash tests. Fiat Chrysler found that during a crash, the left headlight would rotate, pulling the wiring loose. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
ONLINE RETAIL
Amazon selling more leggings and jeans than traditional stores
WASHINGTON — It’s been clear for some time now that Amazon.com has ambitions of competing more seriously in the fashion business: The e-commerce site has been investing in private-label clothing brands. It launched a nightly, QVC-like streaming show to tout its apparel. And it has lured big-name brands such as Kate Spade to sell goods on its site. It appears those efforts are paying off. Over a one-year period, Slice examined shoppers’ online purchases of two wardrobe staples: denim and leggings. The analysis included about 236,000 shoppers, and the findings show that Amazon has hustled its way to some big market share. For leggings, Amazon had the largest market share of any retailer, drawing 11.6 percent of purchases. Nordstrom was close behind with 10.8 percent market share. But other chains should be shaken by what they see here: Amazon’s market share is more than triple that of Macy’s, and it’s more than double that of the Gap. When it came to denim, Amazon also gobbled up greater share than many brands that have been in the jeans game for much longer. Amazon had the third-largest market share in denim, capturing 9.3 percent of purchases, putting it behind only Old Navy and Nordstrom. — WASHINGTON POST
FINANCE
Morgan Stanley jumps 57 percent on fixed-income trading revenue
NEW YORK — Morgan Stanley reported a 57 percent increase in third-quarter profit as fixed-income trading revenue almost tripled, the biggest surge for that business on Wall Street. Net income rose to $1.6 billion, or 81 cents a share, from $1.02 billion, or 48 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based company said Wednesday in a statement. The 2015 figure includes 14 cents a share from an accounting adjustment that was discontinued after a rule change. Profit from continuing operations was 80 cents a share, beating the 63-cent average estimate of 22 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
CONSTRUCTION
Fewer new homes built in September
New home construction in the United States unexpectedly fell in September on a plunge in multifamily building while permits rose more than forecast, in signs of fitful progress in residential real estate. Residential starts declined 9 percent to a 1.05 million annualized rate, the lowest since March 2015, a Commerce Department report showed Wednesday in Washington. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a rise to 1.18 million. Permits, a proxy for future construction, jumped 6.3 percent to the fastest pace since November. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
15,000 vie for 78 high-speed train jobs in Britain
LONDON — More than 15,000 people have applied for just 78 jobs driving Britain’s newest intercity expresses, according to Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains, which is seeking to fill the posts. Each of the positions, which are based in London and Edinburgh, received an average of almost 200 applications, spurred by the opportunity to drive the 65 high-speed Hitachi Ltd. trains set to commence operations on Britain’s East Coast main line in 2018, Virgin said Wednesday in a statement. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
RETAIL
Staples to license its name, expand into business services
NEW YORK — Staples Inc., struggling to sell office supplies in an increasingly digital world, is embarking on a new strategy to license its name and get more revenue from business services. In the first part of the effort, the company will work with GRM Information Management Services Inc. to offer a Staples-brand service that manages records, according to interviews with executives. The products will include secure online storage and document scanning, with GRM offering the services through a site called Staplescloud.com. The biggest customers are expected to be record-intensive businesses, such as health care providers, real estate companies, and law firms. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
COFFEE
Starbucks to continue expansion in China
NEW YORK — Starbucks is pushing ahead with its expansion into mainland China, saying Wednesday it’s on track to have 5,000 stores by 2021, more than doubling the number of its coffee shops in the country. The Seattle-based coffee chain is looking to China to fuel its growth. It has grown rapidly since opening its first Chinese store in 1999, though famously suffered a misstep nearly a decade ago when protests over a shop inside the Forbidden City led to it being closed. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has said China could one day surpass the United States as the chain’s largest market. There are about 13,000 Starbucks stores in the United States. Late next year, Starbucks plans to open a 30,000-square-foot store in Shanghai that Schultz called a ‘‘Disneyland for coffee.’’ Named the Starbucks Roastery and Reserve Tasting Room, the store will be similar to one opened in Seattle nearly two years ago, where customers can watch coffee beans get roasted and sip mixed coffee drinks. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
