Taiwan: Transit Card Operator Trials Bridge Technology
We're Updating our Interactive Map and Project Pages
Stay tuned for all new an all-new interactive map and exclusive content on NFC projects across the globe.
The trial puts Taipei’s popular EasyCard transit application on a SIM overlay chip connected to a flexible antenna. The film overlay makes contact with the user's SIM card chip to communicate with the handset. Participants in the government-subsidized trial can tap their phones to ride buses and subway trains in Taipei as well as make purchases in more than 4,000 7-Eleven convenience stories and at least 5,000 to 6,000 other retail outlets that accept the EasyCard transit e-purse in Taiwan. Users also can view their balances, last six transactions and amount of their last top-up, along with their bicycle-rental record. But they cannot top-up the e-purse over the mobile network.
Unlike most other NFC bridge technologies with flexible antennas, the Taisys duoPass does not require users to replace their SIMs or change their mobile operators. The SIM-overlay chip works with any operators SIM. But while 1,000 devices put on sale in mid-November for a subsidized NT$100 (US$3.29) sold out on the first day, most users required the help of agents to install the film over their SIMs and to wrap the antenna properly and make sure the application worked with the handset. That took five to 10 minutes or more per user.
* Trusted Service Manager: Defined loosely to include companies or other organizations securely distributing, provisioning and managing applications, generally over the air, on secure elements in NFC mobile phones; or licensing their platforms for this purpose. N/A: Not available or not applicable Last update: Nov. 2010
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedInHEADLINE NEWS
Syndicate
