Cityzi to go national: “over half” of all new smartphones in 2011 to have NFC SIMs
Orange has said it will extend the CityZi mobile contactless service, currently being piloted in Nice, across the country in 2011, which would make it one of the world’s first mass-market commerical contactless services. The operator will sell the “Player One Cityzi” handset across France from January, with “further handset models” to follow from the spring, the operator said. Orange added that it has a target of “at least” 500,000 French customers with compatible devices by the end of 2011.
The operator is also going to push for NFC-enabled SIMs to be made available in all its markets across Europe by the second half of 2011. The Group is also working with manufacturers to ensure that “over half” of the new smartphone models it buys will be compatible with contactless services when combined with the new, secure SIM card.
The Nice pilot involved Orange as well as France’s other two major operators, SFR and Bouyges, as well as NRJ mobile and other service providers. Orange did not say whether it would have the same infrastructure to call on when it makes the Player One Cityzi handset available nationwide.