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A large Near Field Communication mobile-phone trial in Bangalore, India, remains on track, and organizers are poised to formally announce the test before the end of June, sources tells CardLine Global sister publication Cards&Payments. As CardLine Global reported in September (CardLine Global, 4 Sept. 2008), United States-based Citigroup Inc. is leading the trial, which also will involve the local Vodafone Group mobile operator in India and a transit operator. Organizers had hoped to launch the project by March or April. Among other goals, the bank hopes the trial will help it work out business-case issues for NFC, a technology that embeds contactless chips in phones and other devices, enabling consumers to tap the devices to pay for purchases and conduct a range of other types of information exchanges. A source earlier told Cards&Payments the phones would carry a Citi-issued PayPass credit application from MasterCard Worldwide. Estimates for the number of NFC phones planned for the trial have ranged from more than 1,000 to up to 15,000. A source partly blames the delay on issues that need to be resolved with government officials. The trial likely will not call for 15,000 phones, the source adds.
