[Krishnan Shekharamangalam]

Need it or Not ???

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

I don't get tethering included on my contract, but I can certainly see it being useful. My desktop is hooked up to an ethernet network anyway and my laptop has WiFi built in (as do all my devices, desktop notwithstanding), so while I won't need it, there may be people that do (broken WiFi chip for example).

[hopmedic]

I don't see it as a need, but I certainly see it as a nice to have feature. If you could tether via USB, you could plug your phone into the computer, and tether using less battery, since neither the laptop or the phone would be using their wifi radios. As it is, sometimes I plug my phone into the computer anyway, so that the computer is powering the phone, but then I still have to use wifi radios, which adds another drain to the batteries that isn't necessary, since the cable is already there.

[santos79]

Definitely. I just switched from Android and am pretty surprised that this feature is not available. I think it's again Microsoft paying more attention to the US market (and its extremely restrictive carriers) despite the fact that most of its users are overseas. I like having the option to tether my phone to my office PC in the event that my broadband connection is not working. That came in very useful a number of times in the past (using my iPhone and later my Nexus), so I am very disappointed that Microsoft has decided that no one needs the feature.

[hopmedic]

Definitely. I just switched from Android and am pretty surprised that this feature is not available. I think it's again Microsoft paying more attention to the US market (and its extremely restrictive carriers) despite the fact that most of its users are overseas. I like having the option to tether my phone to my office PC in the event that my broadband connection is not working. That came in very useful a number of times in the past (using my iPhone and later my Nexus), so I am very disappointed that Microsoft has decided that no one needs the feature.

Tethering is still available (carrier dependent), but it is over wifi, not through USB.

[Sudipta ManUtd]

it is a must have feature, when even basic phones have it why not a smartphone running on windows 8.1

[Snake sentinel]

Definitely. I just switched from Android and am pretty surprised that this feature is not available. I think it's again Microsoft paying more attention to the US market (and its extremely restrictive carriers) despite the fact that most of its users are overseas. I like having the option to tether my phone to my office PC in the event that my broadband connection is not working. That came in very useful a number of times in the past (using my iPhone and later my Nexus), so I am very disappointed that Microsoft has decided that no one needs the feature.

[Snake sentinel]

USB teething is very useful if you don't have WI fi and lan on your PC at home, it's a quick solution as opposed to having a modem. Microsoft and other companies think everyone has WI fi availability, and since you use your phone every day it only makes sense, charging your while on the internet is a bonus.