From the beginning, Asian countries have been ahead of the curve in testing and deploying mobile-payment systems.
Taiwan is now poised to leap ahead in mobile-payment deployment as the country’s five telecommunication companies have agreed to adopt Near Field Communication across their handsets.
The telecoms believe some 100,000 NFC-enabled phones will hit the Taiwanese market in 2012, according to predictions from Far EasTone Communications Co.
Asia Pacific Telecom Co., Chunghwa Telecom Co., Taiwan Mobile Co. and Vibo Telecom Inc. will join Far EasTone to make NFC-enabled phones available to consumers.
The carriers announced Dec. 22 they are working with Easycard Corp., which has 26 million cardholders in Taiwan. Easycard is a smartcard system used to pay for public transit services in the nation.
“We expect that the Financial Supervisory Commission will approve a proposal about mobile payments submitted by the Bankers Association of the Republic of China in the second half of 2012, and that the number of NFC phones enabling mobile payments will reach 100,000 units by the end of next year,” Roger Chen, vice president of product and service delivery at Far EasTone, said at a press conference announcing the telecom’s plans.
An unnamed handset maker plans in the first half of 2012 to launch two NFC-enabled phones that operate on Google Inc.’s Android system, Chen said.
