China Mobile details NFC launch plans

The world’s largest mobile network operator is to begin its mobile payments rollout in February 2013 and will stock a range of NFC phones supplied by eight handset manufacturers.

China Mobile
CHINA MOBILE: World’s largest MNO aims to sell 10m NFC phones in 2013

China Mobile will introduce commercial NFC services in 12 Chinese provinces in February 2013, the world’s largest mobile network operator has announced.

The carrier, which has 698.5m subscribers, then plans to expand in partnership with payments network China UnionPay to fifty cities later in the year. In total, it aims to sell 10m NFC phones in 2013.

NFC devices from eight handset makers will be available to China Mobile subscribers over the coming months, Xiong Hui, China Mobile’s vice general manager for e-commerce, told attendees at the GSMA’s NFC & Mobile Money Summit last week.

Devices from Samsung and HTC are already available while Huawei and ZTE phones will be available during Q4 2012. NFC phones from Lenovo and Coolpad/Yulong will be added during the first quarter of 2013. Two additional phone makers will also be represented, but their identities have not yet been announced.

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