Canadian pilot for NFC public transport solution

stm
TRIAL RUN: NFC ticketing tests on Montreal’s transport system are now complete

Canadian NFC mobile wallet service Suretap and TSM provider EnStream have completed a proof of concept trial with public transport agency Société de transport de Montréal (STM) that enabled transit passengers to pay fares using their smartphone. The trial was supported by Rogers, Bell and Telus, the three carriers which own both Suretap and Enstream.

“Suretap and EnStream successfully reproduced the purchasing and validation features of STM’s Opus smart card on multiple Android mobile devices using NFC technology,” Suretap says.

“The work was conducted in a controlled environment for the STM as part of ongoing research and development activities. Downloading an app that virtually reproduced Calypso-type smart cards such as the Opus card, the initiative tested multiple components of a quick and secure mobile ticketing solution for commuters.”

Prototype

“We are excited to be collaborating with STM on this mobile ticketing prototype,” says Almis Ledas, president of Suretap and COO of EnStream. “Enabling the Suretap wallet to support transit access is the next major step in the evolution of the mobile wallet.”

Rogers launched Suretap in partnership with CIBC in November 2012 and went on to launch a second and separate Suretap mobile wallet service in 2013. The services joined to form part of a new and single Suretap offering in June 2015 between Rogers, Bell and Telus and is now being offered to customers of all participating carriers.

EnStream acts as a single connection point between Canada’s card issuers and mobile network operators. MTS and SaskTel became the latest Canadian mobile network operators to launch NFC mobile payment services using EnStream in May 2015. Scotiabank expanded the reach of its SIM-based NFC mobile wallet service to four additional mobile network operators by connecting to EnStream in October.

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