Altibbi, a large digital health platform in MENA area, and the mobile technology company Fortumo have announced the launch of a direct carrier billing partnership.
The first country where carrier billing through Fortumo becomes available for Altibbi users is Kuwait. Subscribers of the mobile operator Ooredoo Kuwait can now use their prepaid SIM card or monthly phone bill to pay for telemedicine services access on Altibbi’s platform. Altibbi and Fortumo are working together to roll out the solution with additional telcos in the region.
Altibbi provides users with a free Arabic medical knowledge base. Through the platform users can also book consultation sessions with certified physicians.
In Kuwait, only 22% of people have a credit card while 86% of people own smartphones, according to the official press release. This means many people with internet access are unable to pay for premium digital services. Carrier billing solves this problem for digital service providers by making online payments available to anyone with a SIM card.
In recent news, Fortumo announced the launch of Google Play direct carrier billing in Pakistan for Zong 4G subscribers, and a partnership with Indonesia’s leading VOD service Vidio.