The
NFC landscape |
physical access control have drawn industry
interest of blending contactless card functions into mobile
phone.
That is how Near-Field Communication (NFC) aims to enhance
the way we use our mobile phone to interact with the physical
world around us.
NFC is short-range radio frequency-based communications protocol
operating in unlicensed band of 13.56MHz over a typical working
distance of up to 10cm, the protocol allows two devices to
interact automatically by placing them close together. NFC
is now standardised as ISO/IEC 18092 standard and backed by
key industry players such as Nokia, Philips, Sony, Visa and
80 other participating organisations in NFC Forum.
The technology is backward-compatible with
widely used contactless card standard ISO14443. Its passive
communication mode allows a NFC device in power-saving mode
to engage in communications powered by another NFC device
- an important feature for battery-dependent electronics like
mobile phone and PDA.
Paying wtih your mobile
phone |
Since mid-2005, several major NFC trials have
been conducted in different parts of the world. The success
of i-mode FeliCa service (based on FeliCa) in Japan and the
commercial rollout of NFC in Germany show consumers like the
simplicity of using NFC-enabled mobile phone as an electronic
wallet for ticketing in public transportation or making small
purchases over the counter.
Beyond micro-payment and ticketing, the trials
at Atlanta and City of Caen have validated some of the more
innovative uses of NFC-enabled mobile phone such as access
control to car parking facilities, downloading tourist information
at the landmarks, downloading digital content from street-level
smart posters, and virtual loyalty card for point accumulation
and redemption. NFC can potentially be extended to location-sensitive
applications, personal identification, and individual health
records nationwide.
Shopping
with your phone |
The large installed base of contactless card
applications in Singapore here is an added advantage to NFC
deployment, since the consumers are already familiar with
these applications and NFC-enabled mobile phones will allow
access to these applications seamlessly. Existing applications
based upon proprietary contactless card standards may, however,
hinder the rollout of NFC due to incompatibility issues.
While the communication interface and protocol
of NFC are standardised, other aspects of NFC such as relationship
between the SIM, NFC chip and the phone's operating system
are not well defined at this stage. NFC devices that are based
on pre-standard or vendor-specific implementation will impact
the growth of NFC deployment and market fragmentation.
Your mobile ticket |
A sound eco-system that benefits the merchants,
service providers, card issuers, telcos and others in the
value chain is critical for NFC deployment to be successful
and self-sustainable. Despite the challenges, IDA is keen
to facilitate adoption and creation of innovative NFC applications
in Singapore - making short-range wireless go the distance
in improving our everyday lives.
Contributed by Ng
Kim Chuan
Associate Consultant, Enabler Technologies, IDA.
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