Enabling NFC in Hong Kong
Gemalto is working with PCCW-HKT, one of Hong Kong’s major mobile network operators and Octopus Cards Limited (OCL), a contactless smartcard payment service provider, to bring mobile NFC ticketing to its subscribers, as well as a number of additional value added NFC services.
Gemalto’s UpTeq multi tenant NFC SIM will enable PCCW-HKT subscribers to load the Octopus payment functions onto their mobile NFC device for payment in Hong Kong’s public transportation and retail services, as well as other purposes such as Octopus access control and loyalty applications.
The mobile NFC ticketing service allows commuters to pay for journeys on all of Hong Kong’s public transport systems, including the metro, rail, bus, ferry, coach and tram, as well as paying for fares on minibuses and taxis that accept Octopus. Using their selected and tested Sony NFC-enabled smartphones as an e-purse, commuters will be able to top up their Octopus Mobile SIM via any of the Octopus readers in Hong Kong. Users can also pay over-the-counter at retail shops, food and beverages outlets, as well as purchase entrance tickets at selected entertainment venues. Drivers will also able to pay for their parking using their mobile NFC phones.
“The mobile wallet offers daily commuters yet another convenient option for mass transit usage and payment, complementing the well-known and so popular Octopus contactless card success,” added Michael Au, Senior Vice-President of Telecommunications at Gemalto Asia. “In addition to our NFC expertise, we are also bringing here our global experience in public transport, having deployed multi-application contactless transport cards in over 30 large and mega-cities, servicing many millions of inhabitants worldwide every day. This first commercial implementation of the FeliCa application on NFC SIMs will open up new business opportunities outside of Hong Kong and I look forward to seeing transport services act as a catalyst that boosts NFC adoption amongst consumers globally and provides the associated reward to the leading transport, mobile and payment operators who deploy it first.“
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