T-Mobile USA adds carrier billing to Android Market

T-Mobile USA announced it is now pushing out a software update enabling Android device customers to bill Android Market download purchases directly to their account instead of entering credit card information (although the credit card option will remain available). T-Mobile said it will stagger the update to make certain it is received by all users, with the new payment option expected to reach all Android devices by Dec. 30. The operator adds the update will be invisible to consumers.

Speaking at last month's Open Mobile Summit event in San Francisco, T-Mobile USA CTO Cole Brodman said the operator would introduce Android billing as well as its own branded Android Market channel to spotlight its own applications and those of selected developer partners. According to Brodman, Android subscribers consume 50 times more data than other T-Mobile customers, and about half of Android users visit Android Market every day; in addition, 80 percent of Android users browse at least once a day, with two-thirds browsing numerous times per day, and 40 percent access social networking sites multiple times each day.

For more on the Android billing update:
- check out the T-Mobile Forums

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