Czech Republic: Telefónica O2 Tests Mifare-Based Transit
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The first phase, which began in April 2009, enabled users to pay for bus tickets by tapping either of two Nokia NFC models. They could also view balance and transaction history using a Java application on the phones. Telefónica O2's Czech Republic branch announced in May it is putting NFC phones on sale later in the month in six shops in Pilsen, preloaded with the city's transit card application. The application, at least in card form, also can be used as an electronic purse for retail payments in a limited number of shops, along with buying tickets to cultural events and as a library card, according to the telco. This second phase of the project had been delayed, and it's still unclear what phone models, besides the Nokia 6212, were to go on sale. Plans announced by O2 earlier for the second phase called for users to be able to top up their transit e-purses and buy new bus tickets directly from their NFC phones. The telco and transport company also plan to allow them to use the transit purse to make retail purchases with the same e-purse.
Telefónica group has been keenly interested in NFC. It plans more trials in its home base of Spain and seems eager to launch commercially in some of its markets in Europe. The telco had a successful O2 Wallet trial in London in 2007-08. The second phase of the Pilsen trial had been delayed while O2 waited for, among other things, more NFC phones. Telefónica had wanted phones that support the single-wire protocol, enabling the telco to put the Mifare transit application on a SIM card. An announcement in May 2010 by the telco's Czech Republic branch said it is putting phones on sale in Pilsen, although only mentioned the older Nokia 6212.
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