T-Mobile is rolling out carrier-based billing for the Android Market, as promised. Customers are getting the option in waves, and all users will be upgraded by Dec. 30., though, there’s no notification process. Upgraded users will just see the “Bill my T-Mobile account” option (pictured) when they try to make a purchase.
Carrier-based billing is currently only available for apps that can be bought using U.S. dollars; T-Mobile and Google (NSDQ: GOOG) are “working on a solution” to convert Euros and Pounds to dollars. U.S. currency restrictions aside, this is good news for Android app developers, since the need to use Google Checkout (and a credit card) has been cited as one of the main reasons hindering them from making real money from the Android Market.
This is a big deal if you are reporting this correctly.
Other major carriers such as ATT has used a strong-arm tactic against third-party billing on mobile platform hindering real development in the American mobile market.
This move may also threaten the highly profitable Premium SMS market that ATT,Sprint and Verizon locked down.
If this is true, then 2010 will be a very interesting year for the mobile market.