Lebara Plus lets you watch ads in exchange for extra credit or data

Lebara Mobile today announced the launch of its new Lebara Plus service, an Android-exclusive offering that aims to give users extra data in exchange for viewing ads.

When users unlock their phones, about 1/3 of the time Lebara Plus will show them an ad that they can dismiss or interact with. For viewing the ads, Lebara Plus will add 2GB of data to users’ accounts each month, starting today. From November 9, the service will be able to add credit instead of data to accounts.

Research data from a 2013 study showed that we unlock our phones possibly more than 100 times a day, and we’re usually looking at our phones when we do it so it’s certainly a viable focus for advertisers.

Lebara says their customer base is majority (65%) Android-based and is pretty heavy on data usage, and they see many customers recharge during a given month to get additional data. Customers need to already be spending at least $20/month to be eligible to use the boost, and it’ll only apply once a month. Still, 2GB of data is typically worth about $20, so this is a bonus for Lebara customers that shouldn’t be sneezed at.

The system is powered by Australian-built technology developed by Unlockd, a Melbourne-based company backed by notable Australian entrepreneurs. Unlockd is launching with Lebara Plus today, but is hinting heavily that their system is US-bound, with a deal seemingly in place with a major national US carrier next year.

Would you exchange some ad views as you unlock your phone, for 2GB of data each month? Tell us in the comments!