Microsoft has details released about the capabilities of Windows 8 with respect to mobile broadband. The OS gets a setting to control the data usage limit, only critical security updates are still retrieved.
Windows 8 will get a private driver for mobile broadband, which must ensure that the user dongle or sim card in the 3g module can use, without additional drivers to install. Microsoft makes use of the Mobile Broadband Interface Model specification from the USB Implementers Forum.
The OS recognizes the provider, the configuration here is set to on and the user can also use the Windows 8 interface of carrier exchange. If present, retrieves the software also the app of the service provider from the Windows Store, where more information about the user account. Also would a new subscription or prepaid package that can be procured. Windows 8 shows itself an estimate of data usage, while the actual consumption with the help of the app of the provider accessed. That can also give a warning if the limit comes into view.
Was already known that Windows 8 has a preference for wi-fi for data usage over mobile networks to minimize. To connect to an access point in standby would still but a second costs, where here earlier, around 11 seconds. The OS gets support for public hotspot authentication methods Wispr, EAP, and EAP-TTLS, which time and time again to log on via, for example, a web page should decrease.
There is a special setting to control the data usage reduce. If it is enabled, applications can switch to, for example, playback of video with lower bitrate or display only the headers instead of the entire message. Developers need this to deploy through the api in the ConnectionCost class of the Windows.Networking.Connectivity.
Windows updates are not downloaded with a 3g connection: that downloads starting only as an ethernet or wi-fi connection is established. Microsoft makes an exception for critical security updates, making holes for worms to be sealed, for example.