Hong Kong operator 3 has teamed up with Over-The-Top (OTT) messaging player WhatsApp to launch a local data pack as well as a roaming pass.

A monthly fee of HK$8 (US$1.03) will enable the operator’s customers to have access to all WhatsApp functionality in Hong Kong, including location-based services and messaging, as well as the ability to share photos, videos, sound files and contacts. A statement from 3 notes that the ‘WhatsApp Data Pack’ has “no impact on data usage provided by a customer’s existing 3 Hong Kong monthly plan.”

The partnership also extends abroad, enabling customers who sign up to the ‘WhatsApp Roaming Pass’ to use the service across 78 destinations worldwide, via 93 networks, for a daily charge of HK$48 (US$6.19). 3 says it will throw in 5MB of roaming data usage to each subscriber.

"Since launch, WhatsApp has spread virally among smartphone users all over the world,” commented Jan Koum, WhatsApp CEO and co-founder. “More than 10 billion messages are now delivered every day, representing a tenfold increase over last year. In fact, we expect that growth trend to continue. We understand that users also want to enjoy WhatsApp in a hassle-free manner when traveling overseas. Leveraging the extended roaming coverage provided by the strategic partnership between Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong, the Conexus Mobile Alliance and Vodafone has enabled us to launch the world's first ‘WhatsApp Roaming Pass’, which will benefit 3 Hong Kong users by providing unprecedented mobility when using WhatsApp abroad."

The move is also evidence that some operators are beginning to work closely with OTT providers, rather than viewing them solely as a competitive threat. 3 itself is no stranger to the OTT scene, with its European operations having signed earlier deals with Skype.

At Mobile World Congress in February WhatsApp CEO Koum talked up the company’s ambitions to partner with operators: “We would like to work with them, and we’re looking to leverage a lot of the billing capabilities that operators have today.”