Skip to main content

NFC Forum and APTA sign collaboration agreement

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the NFC Forum have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enable the two organisations to jointly educate the industry on near field communication (NFC) technologies supporting the needs of public transportation operators. The use of NFC for public transit ticketing is growing. Recently, New York State announced a plan to support NFC payments for the 11-million-user Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the UK Cards Asso
February 18, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The American Public Transportation Association (618 APTA) and the NFC Forum have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enable the two organisations to jointly educate the industry on near field communication (NFC) technologies supporting the needs of public transportation operators.

The use of NFC for public transit ticketing is growing. Recently, New York State announced a plan to support NFC payments for the 11-million-user Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the UK Cards Association unveiled a framework to implement contactless payments, including NFC, nationwide on all forms of public transit.

Through the MOU, APTA and the NFC Forum will work on joint programs including training courses, white papers, case study analyses, merchant and transportation customer research, webcasts, and hosted events or trade shows.

APTA will work with the NFC Forum Transport Special Interest Group (SIG) to define approaches for utilisation of NFC technology to address a range of needs, including supporting passenger information systems, ticketing, and proof of payment fares. APTA will also participate in global workshops led by the Transport SIG with leading standards organisations, including the GSM Association (representing mobile operators), CEN/TC278 (the organisation promoting intelligent transportation systems), Smart Ticketing Alliance and public transportation authorities for the purpose of gathering requirements and harmonising work across the groups.

Public transportation is a key target market for the NFC Forum. The NFC Forum has been active in promoting the adoption of NFC technology in public transportation, most recently forming an alliance in 2015 with the GSM Association, Smart Ticketing Alliance, and CEN/TC278 to bring about harmonization of specifications with regard to NFC technology for the public transport industry.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • EMV Transport Forum launched
    November 18, 2014
    The first of the EMV Transport Forum meetings will be held at Transport Ticketing & Passenger Information Global 2015, the world’s largest gathering of the public transport industry for smart fare collection and passenger services, on 29 January at the Lancaster in London. The EMV Transport Forum is the UK’s first industry collaboration focusing directly on aspects of implementation and market adoption of EMV transport ticketing. With the discussion shaped by pre-submitted concerns and questions, the
  • Mobile ticketing ‘to grow at a 51 per cent CAGR by 2021’
    May 18, 2016
    The latest Smart Insights report, Smart ticketing on the Path to Dematerialization, explores the dynamics and the specificities of the smart ticketing business. It anticipates that in spite of the growth of software and service based solutions, public transport operators will issue over one billion smart cards by 2021. According to this research, mobile ticketing is expected to experience a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 51 per cent over the 2016-2021 period while the share of contactless and ma
  • WTS International: Attract, Connect, Sustain, Advance
    December 7, 2022
    WTS International exists to connect transportation professionals, and to help prepare the next generation of the mobility workforce. But it takes everyone to create change, says Lindsay Shelton-Gross
  • Towards common standards for cooperative road infrastructures
    July 23, 2012
    Michael Noblett of Connexis discusses international progress towards common standards for cooperative road infrastructures. Will vehicle safety communications standards be able to support ITS on the international level, or will we settle once again for regional interoperability only? The answer lies in the current status of the draft standards themselves, and the requirements users and authorities are placing on the people who draft them.