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| 13 June 2013 |
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3 Hong Kong is first in Greater China to launch a direct carrier billing service for Google Play app purchases
Pioneering move will drive app download trend and create win-win-win
situation for users, telecoms operators and application developers |
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Hong Kong, 13 June 2013 – 3 Hong Kong, the mobile telecommunications division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (HTHKH; stock code: 215), today announced launch of Greater China’s first direct carrier billing service for the benefit of customers purchasing apps from Google Play. This will drive the trend in app download and usage, while creating a win-win-win situation for customers, telecoms operators and application developers.
Starting today*, users can buy apps from Google Play on designated Android mobile handsets and tablets via our new Direct Carrier Billing service. App purchases transacted this fast and convenient way will be charged directly to a 3 Hong Kong customer’s mobile bill. This eliminates the need to pass on credit card information and so gives customers total peace of mind when buying apps.
Purchase apps via direct carrier billing with just a few clicks
Growing popularity in smartphones has fueled rapid development of the Android market, with more than 900 million such devices activated worldwide as of May 2013, at the rate of 1.5 million every day, according to Google. More than 970,000 apps are available on Google Play, and a total of some 50 billion app downloads has been recorded so far. These figures offer overwhelming evidence that downloading apps is already a major trend among mobile users.
As a leading mobile telecoms operator that ranks customer needs as top priority, 3 Hong Kong is committed to providing a unique experience by offering innovative products and services. With this in mind, 3 Hong Kong’s new Direct Carrier Billing service enables users to purchase a variety of apps from Google Play with just a few clicks, thereby expanding on the convenience and enjoyment of using a smartphone.
Win-win-win for customers, telecoms operators and application developers
Debra Ma, 3 Hong Kong’s Marketing Director, said: “We are pleased to work with Google and become the first telecoms operator to launch a direct carrier billing service in Greater China. We hope it will open up an unprecedented experience for Android users, enabling them to purchase their apps of choice with peace of mind.”
She added: “The applications development business holds great potential, given the upward spiral in mobile broadband demand coupled with the exponential growth in smartphone use. We believe we are assisting this important aspect of our industry by channeling smartphone app purchase transactions through 3 Hong Kong’s Direct Carrier Billing service. In fact, we look forward to extending this billing service to other mobile platforms in the near future to create yet more win-win-win situations for users, ourselves and application developers.”
*3 Hong Kong customers can enjoy the new service in phases starting today.
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About 3 Hong Kong
3 Hong Kong is a leading mobile service provider in Hong Kong offering advanced voice, data and roaming services under the “3” brand via its 4G LTE, 3G and GSM dual-band networks. 3 Hong Kong is the mobile division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (HTHKH; stock code: 215), which is a group member of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (stock code: 13). For more information on 3 Hong Kong, please visit www.three.com.hk. For more information on HTHKH, visit www.hthkh.com.
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