NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Deutsche Telekom, one of the most important backers of SIM-based NFC through the years, now questions whether the technology could ever become a standard, as it quietly withdrew its little-used SIM-based NFC mobile wallet from the German market last week after more than two years.
The telco is blaming in part the heavy investment by “international operating companies,” referring to the backers of the “Pays,” such as Apple and Google, for its decision to close its MyWallet Dec. 31, and for the increasingly gloomy prospects for NFC SIMs.
The telco also blamed the slow growth of contactless acceptance in Germany and the fact that banks are losing interest in SIM-based NFC wallets, given their growing options for introducing mobile payments without SIMs. The options include using host card emulation to launch their own wallets and joining Apple Pay or other Pays wallets when they come to Germany.
