Vodafone, 2degrees and Telecom New Zealand have partnered with the operator of the country’s debit card and ATM networks to introduce a central TSM platform that will allow the carriers to “continue to compete vigorously for customers by developing their own innovative services on top of the open platform infrastructure provided by the TSM”. More
Joint venture
UK NFC JV files with Brussels
The NFC joint venture between three UK mobile network operators has now filed for approval with the EU to go ahead with the scheme, code named ‘Project Oscar’, the Guardian reports, despite on-going objections from excluded carrier Three... More
UK NFC JV heads to Brussels
Everything Everywhere, Vodafone and O2 will be submitting their plans for a UK-based NFC joint venture to regulators in Brussels next week, the Financial Times reports... More
Belgian NFC payments joint venture hits the rocks
Plans to create a common mobile payments platform for Belgium’s banks and mobile network operators have been abandoned over an inability to agree on whose technology to use or a business case that could work for all parties. More
UK NFC joint venture prepares to seek EU approval
The UK NFC joint venture announced last year by mobile network operators Vodafone, O2 and Everything Everywhere is expected to seek the official go ahead for the scheme, dubbed Project Oscar, in the next two weeks, according to a report in The Telegraph... More
Sony unveils Xperia NFC phones and tags
Sony has announced two Xperia NFC smartphones, the Xperia Ion which is exclusive to AT&T in the US and the Xperia S which will be available worldwide this quarter, as well as read-only NFC Xperia SmartTags. More
Three takes fight against UK NFC joint venture to Europe
The planned joint venture between the UK’s three leading mobile network operators is “anti-competitive and akin to a joint selling arrangement,” says Three UK, which was not invited to take part in establishing the new NFC service provider. More
Swedish MNOs form payments JV
Swedish mobile operators Telia, Tele2, Telenor and 3 have formed a mobile payments joint venture... More
Citi and America Movil form JV
Citigroup and América Móvil have created a US$50m joint venture to explore opportunities in mobile payments and banking... More
Three: UK mobile operators’ NFC joint venture “raises serious competition concerns”
“Competition authorities in Brussels should not allow this type [of] collaboration to go forward under any circumstances,” says Three, which was not invited to be part of the UK project. “We’re asking the Commission to take a clear view of what is at stake for consumers and the dangerous precedent this move could set across Europe.” More
German mobile operators to launch joint NFC payments service
Vodafone, Telefónica and Deutsche Telekom are to launch a joint NFC payments service under the Mpass brand name early next year, beginning with NFC stickers and then moving on to NFC phones. More