What better way to start a new week than by getting the bad news out of the way first! Well, the big story here is that a major Italian carrier has made the decision to leave the Windows Phone platform.
More specifically, TIM has removed carrier billing support for Microsoft’s mobile operating system.
Some may say that carrier billing never really took traction, but even if it did not, it still provided users with a convenient way to purchase apps and services on their network — without bringing other payment systems into the play.
Microsoft, for their part, announced carrier billing for Windows Phone a few years back, with appropriate fanfare.
It basically allowed Windows Phone users the ability to purchase apps, games and other content from the Windows Store without a credit card, and then have these purchases they made included in their carrier plans.
But as reported, TIM, or Telecom Italia, as it is known, is waving goodbye to Microsoft’s mobile OS, with the network officially announcing that carrier billing support would be completely pulled this month.
Starting September 28, that is.
Users will now have to turn to other payment methods to pay for content, with credit cards and PayPal being the obvious choices. Not exactly ideal, but what can you do.
Microsoft has not commented on this decision, but there is no doubt that this is another blow to the platform that is now growing accustomed to moves like these. The fact that it comes in Italy, a market that was considered to be a fort for Windows Phone, makes it all the more depressing.
