According to a BBC report, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is investigating claims that some mobile handsets using its Windows Phone 7 operating system are sending and receiving "phantom" data, eating through users' monthly mobile data allotments without their knowledge.
The BBC said that many of the users experiencing the issue are in the United States, and those affected report that their phones are sending and receiving between 30 MB and 50 MB of data every day. A Microsoft spokesperson told the BBC the company is looking into the problem to determine the cause and will provide any information as it becomes available.
While wireless carriers in the past offered unlimited data plans to all smartphone users, a growing number of carriers in the United States have begun offering pricing options on a per-megabyte basis. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), the first carrier to implement such pricing for smartphones, charges $15 per month for 200 MB or $25 per month for 2 GB.
Microsoft debuted its new operating platform in October at a launch event in New York City. At that time, the company unveiled around nine phones that were using the new OS, including devices from Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung. In December, Microsoft reported it had shipped 1.5 million WP7 devices to carriers in the first six weeks of availability.
For more:
- see this BBC article
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