China Unicom has announced the commercial launch of its Single-Card NFC solution application in Beijing.
Utilizing Watchdata’s 13.56MHz NFC-enabled SIMpass SIM card, the new solution provides Beijing’s 22 million residents with mobile payment capabilities for Beijing Automated Fare Collection System (Beijing-AFCS).
According to China Unicom, the Beijing-AFCS is the world largest transportation system, delivering smart card services to 40 million users. Launched in 2006, the system has been widely used on over 50,000 buses, 60,000 taxis and in 2,000 businesses, including the car parks, supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, cinemas, public telephones and more. Its daily transactions amount to over $1.5 million.
With the new system, China Unicom subscribers simply replace their phone’s conventional SIM card with the new SIMpass card to enjoy contactless mobile payment for all of the above services.
SIMpass currently has more than 2 million users in more than 20 cities and provinces of China, including Beijing, Hunan and Jiangsu. According to Watchdata, more than 80% of mobile handsets currently on the market are compatible with SIMpass. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/nfcnews-4.gif)
