TDC, Telenor, TeliaSonera and 3 ink m-payments JV

Danish mobile operators formed a joint venture to create a common platform for m-payments. The four operators--TDC, Telenor, TeliaSonera and 3--said that the NFC-based service will aim to provide consumers with a secure environment to pay for items using a handset, without worrying which network they subscribe to.

The service, which is scheduled to launch in the autumn and will have a common brand shared by each operator, is being positioned to be in widespread use as an e-wallet within a few years.

"Everything we currently physically have in our wallet or purse will soon be available digitally on our SIM card as ordinary everyday functions on our mobiles," the JV said in a statement, according NFC World.

TeliaSonera CEO Søren Abildgaard added in a statement: "It is crucial to us that consumers can feel confidence and trust in the digital wallet. It should therefore be easier and safer with the digital wallet than carrying around a purse or wallet."

However, the operators made no announcement as to what other technology, banking or retailer firms it already has onboard as partners, or how the platform will be deployed. This move by the Danish mobile operator community follows similar NFC-based initiatives in the UK, France and the US.

For more:
- see this NFC World article
- see this Telecom Paper article (sub. req.)

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