Authors of the report find that Japan and Korea were among the first countries to to offer low-cost models to content providers. They find that mobile content markets are flourishing in these markets. Research by Strategy Analytics has suggested that Japanese consumers made contactless payments worth $900 million using their mobiles in 2006, including prepaid travel tickets.

The report states that in other parts of Asia, Taiwan’s Far EasTone Telecommunications, the number three Taiwanese mobile operator, has announced plans to launch a Near Field Communication payment services early in 2008, following a trial. It says that the trial system, which started in November 2007, is part of the GSM Association’s ‘Pay-Buy Mobile’ initiative which seeks to define a common global approach to using NFC technology to link mobile devices with payment and contactless systems.

Analysts predict that in the course of 2008, there will be further trials of mobile payments by NFC around the world, especially after a major European pilot conducted by O2 in the UK began in late 2007.

In addition to O2, there are numerous European mobile network operators working to develop NFC applications, including Bouygues Telecom, KPN, Mobilkom Austria, Orange, SFR, SK Telecom, Telefonica Móviles España, Telenor, TeliaSonera, TIM, Vodafone, Polkomtel, Elisa and 3.