Nokia, Philips To Test German Bus Fare Payment

Nokia Philips To Test German Bus Fare Payment
Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, and Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe's third-largest semiconductor maker, will next year test a system in Germany allowing people to pay for bus fares using handsets.

A device attached to the cover of Nokia's 3220 handset will allow passengers in Hanau, near Frankfurt, to pay fares by swiping the phone against a reader, Espoo, Finland-based Nokia and Amsterdam-based Philips said in a statement.

The system is based on the so-called near field communications technology developed by Philips and Sony Corp., according to the statement. Nokia and Philips are working with Frankfurt's transport authority on the project.

Philips's near field communication chips allow for data transfers at a distance of up to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches). Once the devices have established a connection with NFC, other wireless technologies that connect devices over longer distances, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, can take over.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, are wireless- communication technologies that let computers, mobile phones and other portable devices talk to each other and exchange data.

In August, Philips said Samsung Electronics Co., the world's third-largest maker of mobile phones, will use the NFC chip in some of its wireless devices. Vivendi Universal SA i