Fortumo and PT Hutchison 3 Indonesia, owner of the GSM provider 3 ("Tri"), have announced the launch of direct carrier billing in Indonesia. The partnership will allow 55.5 million Tri subscribers to make online purchases and have them charged to their mobile account, according to a company press release.

"As a mobile broadband provider in Indonesia, we understand that digital, including online payment and other online transaction, is part of our subscriber lifestyle," said Dolly Susanto, chief sales and marketing officer of Hutchison 3 Indonesia. "Fortumo is a well-recognized carrier billing provider with local expertise in Asian markets. Being able to plug in a large number of both globally and locally popular merchants through one integration was an attractive proposition and we look forward to working with Fortumo [and] giving more value-added service to our subscribers for their digital lifestyle."

According to the announcement, Indonesia has 259 million mobile phone users (including 55 million smartphone users), a number that is estimated to grow 17 percent this year. At the same time, only 4 million people in the country have a credit card. 

"Indonesia has one of the biggest and most quickly growing digital populations in Asia," said Siddharth Sahi, vice president of business development and carrier relations at Fortumo. "But a majority of the population cannot make online payments due to a lacking bank infrastructure. Indonesian carriers have the opportunity to seize the payments market and increase revenue by enabling payments for digital content. We are very happy to be working with Hutchison 3 and connecting their subscribers to the world’s leading digital entertainment companies."