World's first commercial roll out of Near Field
Communication (NFC) technology simplifies travel for consumers
[April 19th 2006] Nokia, Royal Philips Electronics, Vodafone
and the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), the regional
public transport authority for the Region Frankfurt
Rhine-Main in Germany, have announced that following a
successful ten-month field trial, Near Field Communication
(NFC) technology will be deployed in a commercial
environment. Nokia 3220 mobile phones with integrated NFC
technology can now be used as electronic bus tickets and act
as loyalty cards for discounts at local retail outlets and
attractions. Everyone of the approximately 95.000 residents
in the city of Hanau can now enjoy the ease and convenience
of NFC for mobile ticketing in public transportation, simply
with the swipe of their compatible phones.
Most people have their mobile phone with them wherever they
go, so the possibility to use the phone to conduct daily
transactions, such as transport ticketing and access to
services, adds great value for consumers. The NFC enabled
Nokia 3220 mobile phones have been tested by 160 residents
for use in the public bus system in the city of Hanau. At
the end of the trial more than 90% of the trial participants
considered this a positive, convenient system worth
continuing.
Local Vodafone shops will offer the NFC-enabled Nokia 3220
handsets immediately for sale, allowing passengers to hold
their mobile phones close to the reading device to enter and
disembark from a city bus in Hanau. At the end of the month,
the customers will receive an invoice from the local public
transport operator outlining all trips taken, and the costs,
which are calculated using the best available fares at the
time of travel.
The results of the RMV trial clearly demonstrate that
consumers like the simplicity of using NFC for secure
payment and ticketing for public transportation in a
real-city environment. As a key technology and market driver
for NFC, all parties are extremely pleased to see the
world's first commercial rollout in Germany. The strong
collaboration to deliver on the promise of the technology
was key to the consumer acceptance. Technology should be
easy to use and make people's lifes simpler and more
enjoyable. With the commercial rollout of NFC in a variety
of applications, the promise is being realized.
In addition to public transport ticketing, a newly
introduced local leisure card - the "RMV-ErlebnisCard
Hanau" loyalty card - will be incorporated into the NFC-enabled
phones. This feature will enable mobile phones to receive
discounts at RMV's 14 selected retail partners in the area
including restaurants, shops and local attractions.
About Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV)
RMV is one of the largest Regional Public Transport
Authorities in Europe which provides its services for five
million inhabitants in the state of Hess/Germany. RMV is
responsible for organization and co-ordination of the
operation of regional rail services as well as for
integrating long distance, regional and (sub)urban rail
services in to an overall mass transit system, including 156
public transport companies.
