WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the NFC Forum today announced a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enable the two organizations to jointly educate the industry on Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies supporting the needs of public transportation operators.
NFC technology has a broad range of use cases and applications. In public transportation fare collection, NFC technology provides a wireless connection between mobile devices and wireless readers such as those seen in gated fare collection for public transit systems. The adoption of NFC will enable a global public transportation environment in which passengers board with unprecedented speed and ease; fare collection and access are handled with accuracy; and the user experience is uniformly positive and consistent from country to country and transit system to transit system.
The use of NFC for public transit ticketing is growing. Recently, New York State announced a plan to support NFC payments for the 11-million-user Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the UK Cards Association unveiled a framework to implement contactless payments, including NFC, nationwide on all forms of public transit.
Through the MOU, APTA and the NFC Forum will work on joint programs including training courses, white papers, case study analyses, merchant and transportation customer research, webcasts, and hosted events or trade shows. APTA will work with the NFC Forum Transport Special Interest Group (SIG) to define approaches for utilization of NFC technology to address a range of needs, including supporting passenger information systems, ticketing, and proof of payment fares. APTA will also participate in global workshops led by the Transport SIG with leading standards organizations, including the GSM Association (representing mobile operators), CEN/TC278 (the organization promoting Intelligent Transportation Systems), Smart Ticketing Alliance, and public transportation authorities for the purpose of gathering requirements and harmonizing work across the groups.
"NFC technology has the power to transform public transport and the passenger experience," said Koichi Tagawa, NFC Forum Chairman. "NFC will not only streamline fare collection but also make transport operations more seamless, efficient, and responsive. We look forward to working with APTA to bring these benefits to operators and their passengers worldwide."
"APTA is pleased to partner with the NFC Forum to help integrate NFC technology into public transportation," said APTA Chair Valarie J. McCall and board member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. "It is through partnerships such as this one with the NFC Forum, that technological innovation is accelerated in our industry."
"NFC will improve the passenger experience by linking passengers with mobile phones and public transit fare payment, and by increasing the opportunities to share digital content to improve the transit passenger convenience," said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy.
Public transportation is a key target market for the NFC Forum. The NFC Forum has been active in promoting the adoption of NFC technology in public transportation, most recently forming an alliance in 2015 with the GSM Association, Smart Ticketing Alliance, and CEN/TC278 to bring about harmonization of specifications with regard to NFC technology for the public transport industry.
About the American Public Transportation Association
The
American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit
international association of 1,500 public and private sector
organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail,
commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and
high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning,
design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers;
academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of
transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that
represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the
public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit
services and products. More than 90 percent of the people using public
transportation in the United States and Canada ride APTA member systems.
About Near Field Communication Technology
NFC technology
makes life easier and more convenient for consumers around the world by
making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and
connect electronic devices with a touch. A standards-based connectivity
technology, NFC harmonizes today’s diverse contactless technologies,
enabling current and future solutions in areas such as access control,
consumer electronics, health care, information collection and exchange,
loyalty and coupons, payments, and transport. NFC technology is
supported by the world’s leading communication device manufacturers,
semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies,
and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of
millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.
About the NFC Forum
The NFC Forum (www.nfc-forum.org)
was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading
mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics
companies. The Forum’s mission is to advance the use of Near Field
Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring
interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market
about NFC technology. The Forum’s global member companies are currently
developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and
protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service
delivery, device discovery, and device capability. The NFC Forum’s
Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include
leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members
are: Apple Inc., Broadcom Corporation, Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.,
Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NXP
Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics,
and Visa Inc.
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