What should I know about cellular data connectivity on my Windows Phone?

Charges for connectivity over your mobile operator's network depend on your service agreement. Your mobile operator might charge you extra for data usage and especially when roaming. Roaming occurs when your phone connects to a cellular network other than the one provided by your mobile operator, and uses that connection to exchange data. By default, your phone is configured to turn off your cellular data connection when roaming to avoid incurring additional charges. See What's data roaming? for more information.

In general, you'll be able to get data connectivity almost anywhere you can get a cellular connection. (This also depends on whether cellular data connectivity is available where you are.) For example, you might be out and about and you want to know where the nearest restaurants are, so you search the web to find out.

You can configure global cellular settings for your phone, including which network you're currently connected to. For more info, see Cellular settings. This helps you stay connected when you're traveling internationally. You can also set your phone to forward calls. To learn more, see Make and receive phone calls.

And if you're on a plane and you need to turn your phone off, you can use Airplane mode to turn off your cellular connectivity. It turns off all connectivity on your phone, but you can choose to turn Wi-Fi, FM radio, and Bluetooth connectivity back on individually while your phone's in Airplane mode. See What's Airplane mode? for more information.

Your mobile operator can tell you what other configuration settings for cellular connectivity you can access with your current phone plan. Your options for cellular connectivity also depend on your locale, because different locales often have different infrastructure.