The ‘App store’ Paradigm in the Developing World
Typically, the sales model for cell-phone minutes in the developing world is the purchase of minutes on cards. These cards, which are bought in bulk from the local service provider and resold locally, have scratch-off numbers that the user enters in the phone to purchase more minutes.
The iPhone ‘app store’ paradigm breaks down in an environment where credit card billing isn’t possible. But what could work? Prepaid cards.
Providers could use the same distribution mechanism as selling minutes - prepaid cards. App store credits might be bought using cell phone minutes, or separate ‘app credit’ cards might be distributed and resold.
On a local basis, service providers might have application repositories to which subscribing Android users have access. Pre-paid cards could be used for purchasing apps just as easily as for purchasing talk time.
