As of June 1, VimpelCom, a leading mobile operator in Russia under the Beeline brand, will begin testing their wireless payment system, developed by Ambiq Technologies, in the St. Petersburg subway system.
The mobile phone add-on was unveiled two months ago by Ambiq Tech St. Petersburg, the Russian branch of American company Ambiq Technologies.
Based on Near Field Communication technology (NFC), a short-range wireless connectivity standard, the add-on allows customers to use their phone as a discount card or a payment instrument linked to their bank account.
The St. Petersburg subway began testing the wireless payment last year, but the current trials mark the first time a mobile operator is involved.
One hundred VimpelCom subscribers are participating in the pilot program, which is planned to last until autumn. According to the program, the project will then be deployed on a larger scale. A range of technical issues still need clarification, however, according to Dmitry Yaremenko, an expert at AC&M Consulting quoted by ComNews.ru.
VimpelCom is also testing the NFC technology with Aeroexpress, an express rail operator to Moscow airports. MTS and MegaFon, the other leading Russian mobile operators, are also considering adopting the technology as well.
Last week, Google announced an NFC-based application that turns mobile phones into a virtual wallet in partnership with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint. The application is being tested in New York and San Francisco.
Sources: ComNews.ru, Google.
