Oberthur unveils SIM card for ‘wide’ field communication
01 February, 2012
category: NFC, Smart Cards, Transit
Oberthur Technologies partnered with Ingecom to integrate a high-frequency chip and antenna into a SIM card, enabling mobile phone users to communicate with a receiver located up to 15-meters away.
While Near Field Communications (NFC) technology enables transactions over a few centimeters, this “AirSIM” prototype enables for “wide field” communications over a much greater distance, making it suitable for applications such as remote identification and e-ticketing.
According to Oberthur, AirSIM is built on universal technology and does not require an antenna-equipped handset or any software or hardware modifications on the device.
The AirSIM demonstration at MWC 2012 will showcase an e-ticketing application that illustrates how wide field communication can be used to save transport authorities time while processing passengers.
According to Oberthur, AirSIM’s user identification and accurate positioning capabilities can allow many other use cases, such as micro-payments, geo-marketing with digital coupons and access control.