Press release

The Czech major integrated operator Telefónica O2 & Transport municipality of Pilsen introduced on GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona the world’s first multi-application Near Field Communication (NFC) trials based on MIFARE™ technology.

Telefónica O2 and Transport municipality of Pilsen will offer the services based on this technology to Czech citizens since March 2009. The users will be able to travel, pay for goods in dedicated retail shops and pay for entrance to entertainment areas with their NFC phones. The pilot will be conducted in 2 phases; it will last for a total of 9 months. During this period, end-users will enjoy riding transit infrastructure with their NFC phones and will benefit from buying and topping up transit applications Over The Air (OTA).

During the first phase of the pilot which will last until June 2009, the NFC transit application will be downloadable through the Telefónica O2 network. In the second phase, end-users will be able to top up their e-purse and buy new bus tickets directly from their NFC phone, in addition to using the city website. Using NXP Semiconductors’ MIFARE4Mobile™* technology, the issuance and top-up requests will be delivered in real-time over the Telefónica O2 network into the secure element of the end-user’s phone.

The NFC phones in the trial, Nokia 6131 NFC and 6212 Classic, use embedded secure elements. They run a cobranded O2 / NXP wallet allowing the end-user to visualize all available MIFARE-based applications after inserting a PIN code. The mobile wallet displays the available bus tickets, the travel history, the balance of the transit e-purse and the last 4 transactions on the phone screen.

The OTA application management will be performed by NXP’s MIFARE4Mobile platform that securely manages lifecycles of MIFARE-based applications in NFC phones while providing ease of use and flexibility to all parties. This platform allows a smooth transition from embedded secure element to SWP SIM once they become available.

David Brendl, in charge of m-commerce and NFC product development at Telefónica O2 recognises: “This project is a unique opportunity for Telefónica O2 to collect important user and business partners experience and fine tune the NFC business model essential to a successful commercial roll-out expected end of 2009. Telefónica O2, hereby, demonstrate how a Mobile Network Operator, a Service Provider and a Technology provider can cooperate in an environment where rules are still undefined”.

“With this pilot we demonstrate that OTA management of multi-application MIFARE cards is feasible today in embedded secure elements and very soon in SWP SIMs. Proving the Multi-Application NFC model in a real world context is an essential step on the road to full commercial roll-out of NFC”, says Jérôme Juvin, responsible for the business development of NFC in EMEA at NXP Semiconductors.

The pilot will allow all parties to learn more about user experience and start educating consumers on the multiple possibilities that NFC phones offer and so be ready when commercial SWP phones will hit the market.

*MIFARE and MIFARE4Mobile are registered trademarks of NXP B.V. in the U.S. and other countries.

Contacts

Vlastimil Sršen
Press/Media Communications Director
Telefónica O2 Czech Republic, a.s.
public.relations.cz@o2.com
t +420 271463359

About Telefónica O2 Czech Republic

Telefónica O2 Czech Republic is a major integrated operator in the Czech Republic. It is now operating more than seven million lines, both fixed and mobile, making it one of the world’s leading providers of fully converged services. The organization offers the most comprehensive portfolio of voice and data services in this country. It is paying special attention to the exploitation of the growth potential, particularly in the data and Internet sector. Telefónica O2 Czech Republic operates the largest fixed and mobile network including a 3rd generation network, CDMA (for data), and UMTS, enabling voice, data and video transmission. Telefónica O2 Czech Republic is also a notable provider of ICT services.

About Telefónica Europe

Telefónica Europe is a business division of Telefónica comprising mobile, fixed, and DSL operations in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. With the exception of Isle of Man, all the operating businesses use 'O2' as their consumer brand. Telefónica Europe also has 50% ownership of the UK and Irish Tesco Mobile and German Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses. Telefónica Europe is headquartered in Slough, UK, and has 49 million mobile and fixed customers.

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