NFC

With NFC (Near Field Communications) technology you can leave your wallet at home…

When buying coffee or a newspaper, you pay by simply holding your mobile out in front of you to a reader on the counter. On public transport – bus, train, and underground - you use your mobile as your ticket. Just touching a poster advertising a concert can enable you to purchase and receive an electronic ticket, delivered instantly to your mobile.

NFC can also enable you to share media with your friends - by just touching your devices together, you pair your mobiles and video or photos can be transferred instantaneously.

NFC technology enables intuitive, simple and safe interaction between electronic devices. NFC communication is enabled by bringing two NFC compatible devices within a few centimeters of one another or for the two devices to literally touch one another.

You can already use NFC services using the Nokia 6212 Classic and Nokia 6131 NFC. Nokia’s range of devices supporting NFC will grow over the coming years.

Nokia is also actively participating in NFC commercial projects and trials in Europe, North America and Asia. In Austria, Mobilkom is using Nokia devices for transport and payments. In the US, you can use a contactless card or your NFC mobile equipped with contactless card or ticketing application (that is loaded onto the secure element either on the phone or its SIM card) at 80 000 MasterCard PayPass accepting location. In, the UK, at Manchester City FC stadium you can use your mobile as your season ticket. In China, you can use your Nokia NFC mobile in Beijing, Xiamen and Guangzhou to buy transit tickets and pay for shopping at department stores.

Nokia 6212 Classic

NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology, which enables the exchange of data between devices over a few centimeters distance. NFC relies on the principle of inductive coupling – the ability of one device to create a current flow in the target device.

NFC mobiles can read tags, for example by touching a smart poster with your mobile and it automatically downloads information like web links or telephone numbers, or even enables you to purchase the advertized item. The mobile emits a short-range radio signal that powers up a microchip on the tag, and allows for reading a small amount of data that can be stored on the tag.

Mobiles with NFC can also act as an NFC tag, for example, contactless smart card for payments replacing your credit card or electronic transport ticket.

Two NFC enabled mobiles can talk to each others by simply touching them together. They can then exchange data, for example business cards, or can exchange Bluetooth or WLAN parameters to set up a faster data link for transferring files, for example video or photos.

NFC is standardized under ISO18092. It is optimized for local proximity transactions and handovers to other connectivity bearers including Bluetooth and Wireless LAN. The technology is globally available in 13.56 MHz range with data exchange rate between 106 and 424 kbps. NFC is also compatible with ISO14443 contactless payment and ticketing card infrastructures.

To find out more about NFC visit the NFC Forum or to start developing NFC applications for Nokia’s NFC enabled devices visit Forum Nokia.