U.K.-based mobile analytics and direct carrier biller Bango has signed an agreement to provide payment services to social media network Facebook. The terse statement from Bango provided few details. The terms of the deal were not disclosed and Bango simply said its board "believes it is too early in the relationship to accurately forecast the level of business it may generate."

That didn't end the speculation on what it might mean, however. Several outlets are guessing the move indicates Facebook will begin its own mobile payment service allowing users accessing the social media network via their phones to buy services using Bango's direct carrier billing platform.

Bango provides a platform that lets online consumers pay for purchases by placing them on their monthly phone bills. Direct carrier billing is especially popular for digital content, gaming and social media because the transaction is simpler and young consumers may not have access to bank accounts or credit and debit cards.

Facebook filed papers last week for an initial public offering that is expected to generate between $80 and $100 billion. It would be the largest IPO ever. As a part of its filing the company acknowledged it doesn't realize any significant revenues from the large percentage of users who access the network through mobile devices. The admission is fueling much of the speculation that Facebook is looking to monetize that activity with the Bango agreement.

Bango signed a similar deal (and provided a similarly abrupt statement) with online retailer Amazon in December.

For more stories like this, visit the Direct Carrier Billing research center.