Near Field Communications or NFC is becoming a household name, so to speak, and its digital relay of information has most often involved ease of payment at retail outlets. However, NFC in mobile phones and tablets is being explored beyond the cash register right now.

SITA, an organisation specialising in

“perfecting the air travel experience”

…and the European mobile carrier, Orange, have joined forces to test NFC flight check-in at airports.

The technology application that is being tested is the NFC chip coordinating with a mobile phone’s SIM card. The SIM stores the basic identity information, and the chip gathers and stores the information related to the flight – what carrier, airports, flight number, time and passenger, then transmits the data through the receiving sensor to properly register that “John Q. Public” has arrived and acknowledges the flight.

The flyer waives the device over the sensor, and theoretically, passing through security, boarding the plane and peripheral conveniences are a snap.

The specific application of NFC technology being tested is the SIM card is embedded with the NFC chip, as opposed to seating an external NFC chip. The embedded SIM card would enable use across any mobile phone that is compatible with that SIM – or develop all SIMs with the NFC chip that a user can activate or deactivate by navigating through the device’s menus.

Because the NFC chip embedded in the SIM is not locked “inside” the mobile phone, it can operate even when the mobile is turned off. No data connection is required either, allowing for even greater user mobility.

The concern regarding this combined-aspect technology is security: If an NFC-embedded SIM is lost or stolen, identity transfer and credit theft might be even easier.

Supporters of the NFC-chipped SIM include US-based AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and several others, including Orange. China Mobile and China Unicorn have scheduled testing of this technology for next year.