Mobile Operators To Define Requirements For NFC Handsets

The requirements will build upon the standardisation work completed by ETSI, which has selected the Single Wire Protocol to provide the interface between the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), recommended by the GSMA as the Secure Element for NFC applications, and the embedded NFC chipset within the handset. The NFC chip can communicate with existing contactless readers to deliver a wide range of secure, interoperable and transparent services, such as credit and debit payments. Consumers will be able to use UICC-based NFC handsets to quickly, easily and securely pay for goods and services in shops, restaurants and train stations.

"We are looking for manufacturers to produce a wide range of UICC-based NFC handsets that will support the many contactless applications being developed by mobile operators and their partners around the world," said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA. "We expect mobile operators to begin placing orders for these handsets this year as they prepare to rollout mobile NFC services, some of them in partnership with banks and credit card issuers."

The GSMA will ask handset manufacturers to give their feedback on the preliminary requirements, which will cover the handset's user-interface, operation in low battery power mode and other aspects of the contactless functionality, so that the requirements can be finalised by the autumn.

Mobile operator Softbank has just launched a trial of UICC-based NFC payment services in Japan bringing the total number of trials under the GSMA's Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative to seven. AT&T, FarEasTone, KTF, Orange, SFR and Turkcell are also running trials and a further seven operators plan to begin trials in the near future.