AT&T has announced it’s the first US operator to accept cryptocurrency from its customers to pay their bills.

Now forward-thinking AT&T punters can use bitcoin and that sort of thing to reward AT&T for providing all that lovely connectivity if they feel like it. Specifically they can do so via the BitPay platform, which AT&T considers ‘a respected cryptocurrency payment processor’, when they pay online and through the app.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve and expand our services,” said Kevin McDorman, VP of AT&T Communications Finance Business Operations. “We have customers who use cryptocurrency, and we are happy we can offer them a way to pay their bills with the method they prefer.” BitPay doesn’t seem to have made a public statement, but it’s presumably pleased.

This seems to be part of a growing trend, at least among US tech-related companies. Earlier this year mega distributor Avnet said it had embraced BitPay to the corporate bosom. “We’re working with BitPay to facilitate secure blockchain payments for all types of customers so they can focus on developing their products, not how to pay for them. Whether it’s Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash, we can handle it,” said Sunny Trinh, VP of demand creation at Avnet at the time.

Not everyone thinks this is such a great idea however. TNW notes that connecting one of your bitcoin addressed to your phone number, and thus your personal data, might not be for the best. It also reminds us that a UK locksmith which started accepting bitcoin four years ago has yet to enjoy a single cryptocurrency transaction. So this move seems to be more about future-proofing than responding to any immediate demand from the market.