Nordic and APAC markets operator Telenor announced a deal with Google, which will see it creating its own “store-in-store” within Android Market.

In a statement, the operator said that “Android users will be able to access a carefully selected and continuously updated suite of relevant apps inside a fixed destination on the front page of Android Market. It will also support operator billing, and “developers benefit by the increased exposure of their apps and the potential of increased revenue.”

Speaking at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress 2011 this week, Jon Fredrik Baksaas, president and CEO of Telenor Group, said that: “If we are good, and combine with partners to create local, relevant content behind this button, then we will make our customer a richer experience, and we will build a new relevant relationship with our customer base.”

The agreement covers all of Telenor’s 11 international markets, with initial launches in the first quarter of 2012 in Thailand, Malaysia, Hungary, Sweden and Denmark. The company noted that “while smartphone penetration might be lower on a percentage basis in Asia, they easily beat their European counterparts in absolute user numbers.”

An editorial team in each market will be responsible for selecting and presenting up to 50 apps, “with high local relevance.” Operator billing will enable customers to pay for apps via prepaid or contract accounts, and “enables developers to more easily monetise on their products.”