Microsoft readies SIM card and fuss-free mobile data for Windows 10 devices

sincity · January 8, 2016

A new Cellular Data app from Microsoft has popped up on the Windows Store, revealing Redmond's plans for a Microsoft SIM card and mobile data plan designed for Windows 10 devices which have a cellular modem.

The idea is that the app (which The Verge spotted) will allow Windows 10 users to connect to various mobile networks without having to sign up to them, or be tied into any contract with an operator. The data plan will be run and billed through the user's Microsoft account, allowing them to buy and use mobile data as and when it's needed.

Redmond notes that the app is designed to work with specific Windows 10 devices and will need a Microsoft SIM card as well as a Microsoft account.

Roam if you want to...

The app description says the service will be available in "some markets", so obviously this will be the US, and hopefully the UK will get in on the ground floor too, although that remains to be seen. To begin with, it will be domestic networks only for those markets where the app goes live, although international roaming should be available before long.

Signing up for a data plan will be a dead simple matter, and by the sounds of it, you'll be done in not much more than a few clicks.

We'll bring you more news on this as we hear it, and given that the app has appeared in the store, it shouldn't be long before we hear an official announcement.

It will definitely be interesting to see which mobile networks Microsoft has on-board, and of course pricing will also be key – how much will we have to pay for the convenience and flexibility of this offering?