MegaFon and MTS test payment for travel on the subway using a mobile phone

It has been 2 years since MTS and Megafon set about testing special SIM cards that allow paying for travel in the Moscow metro using a mobile phone. To implement the service, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology of short-range wireless high-frequency communication was used . It makes it possible to exchange data between devices at a distance of about 5-10 cm.

The MTS press service reported that the operator and the Moscow Metro State Unitary Enterprise put into operation a comprehensive solution for paying for the metro using NFC technology. In total, about 300 SIM cards are involved in the test.

MTS is planning a commercial launch of the project at the end of 2010. - beginning of 2011 On the territory of the metro stations, special points will start working, where MTS subscribers will install an NFC antenna inside their mobile phone. It will also be possible to install the antenna in any MTS salon in Moscow. The cost of the trip will correspond to the current tariffs of the subway, the subscriber will not need to pay any additional fees. The technical side of the MTS project is implemented with the support of Express Card.

“We are pleased that our project with the Moscow Metro to realize the possibility of buying a ticket using NFC technology has entered the final stage. Now many alternative projects for payment for services are developing, but the uniqueness of the MTS and Moscow metro project is the ability to pay for the trip directly from the personal account of the subscriber and then use the phone as a ticket. We are confident that due to its functionality and convenient interface, this project is promising for other regions, modes of transport and other types of goods and services, which will ultimately contribute to the further development of mobile payment services in our country, ”said MTS Vice President Commerce Mikhail Gerchuk.

“Metro is the most popular transport in the metropolis. And we are convinced that our passengers will appreciate the simple and convenient opportunity to pay for travel using a mobile phone. This direction is very promising - today almost all citizens of Russia have a mobile phone. And for the subway, the launch of such a solution will help improve the quality of customer service - the ability to significantly reduce the time for passengers to purchase a ticket, reduce queues at ticket offices and the passage of lobbies during rush hours, ”said Dmitry Gaev, head of the Moscow Metro.



Megaphone also began testing the same technology at the State Unitary Enterprise “St. Petersburg Metro”, and students and bloggers take part in the tests.
On Megafon’s side, the launch date of the project has not been announced, however, it can be assumed that Megafon will try to keep up with MTS. According to Georgy Getmanets, director of MegaFon’s North-West Branch, paying for the metro with a mobile phone is the first step, and in the future, the company intends to implement non-cash fare in land transport.

And what about Beeline?

Anna Aibasheva, spokeswoman for VimpelCom (Beeline trademark), told RBC that the company is in negotiations with several partners to implement a large-scale NFC project. She refused to provide more information about this project.

At the same time, according to A. Aybasheva, the operator intends to agree with the company Aeroexpress on payment of a train using a mobile train running between Belorussky Train Station and Sheremetyevo Airport. It will be possible to pay for the trip by bringing the phone to a special poster with an RF tag, after which the radio interface is launched, operating at a frequency with a small radius of action. After that, the subscriber needs to confirm the debit of money from his account. This project is a test one, but if it is successfully completed, the scope of cooperation with Aeroexpress can be expanded.

I hope that this time this is not a seed for the press, and soon Muscovites and St. Petersburg will have the opportunity to spend less time in lines at the box office.

Update 1:If someone from Khabrovchan directly took part in the testing, it would be very interesting to read personal impressions.

Update 2: atenta prompts in the comments that Megaphone plans to launch the service already at the end of December this year. Pruflink . There you can find out more about how this service will work with Megaphone.

via RBC + I tried to dig up more details.