Microsoft is developing an LTE data SIM for Windows 10

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is testing a cellular data app that will enable Windows 10 devices to access LTE networks without a contract, according to The Verge. The app is available for download in Windows Store, the report notes, but Microsoft has yet to announce it or discuss plans for any service.

According to its Windows Store description, the app will let Windows 10 users access LTE networks for data on the go, paying for service through a Microsoft account. Interestingly, the app requires a Microsoft SIM card. Such a card isn't yet available, but as PCWorld noted the French MVNE Transatel said this week that it has been tapped by Microsoft "to support the upcoming paid cellular data service for Windows 10."

Microsoft is likely planning to leverage the app in one of two ways: It could partner directly with service providers, or it could provide a carrier-independent service through which users could access any compatible LTE network, similar to Apple's strategy with the SIM card it introduced for the iPad in 2014. Article