Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology: UPSC Current Affairs

Why in the News?

Google Pay has recently launched a new feature in India, ‘Tap to pay for UPI’, in collaboration with Pine Labs using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Probable Question

The security level of the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology communication is by default higher compared to other wireless communication protocols. Discuss

Image Source: The Hindu

Key Points

About Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology

• NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that allows NFC-enabled devices to communicate with each other and transfer information quickly with a single touch.
• NFC transmits data through electromagnetic radio fields, to enable communication between two devices. 
• Both devices must contain NFC chips, as transactions take place within a very short distance.
• NFC-enabled devices must be either physically touching or within a few centimetres from each other for data transfer to occur.

How does NFC enable Google Pay Payments faster than the conventional method?

• Google Pay will allow users with UPI accounts to make payments just by tapping their NFC-enabled Android smartphones on any Pine Labs Android POS terminal. 
• This process will be much faster compared to scanning a QR code or entering the UPI-linked mobile number.

Benefits

• NFC technology is designed for an operation between devices within a few centimetres from each other. 
  • This makes it difficult for attackers to record the communication between the devices compared to other wireless technologies which have a working distance of several metres. 
• The user of the NFC-enabled device determines by the touch gesture which entity the NFC communication should take place with, making it more difficult for the attacker to get connected. 
• The security level of the NFC communication is by default higher compared to other wireless communication protocols.

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Applications

• NFC tech has a wide range of applications besides driving payment services like Google Wallet and Apple Pay.
• It allows a user to pay bills, exchange business cards, download coupons, or share a document.
• It is used in contactless banking cards to perform money transactions or to generate contact-less tickets for public transport. 
• NFC is present in speakers, household appliances, and other electronic devices that we monitor and control through our smartphones. 
• It also has an application in healthcare, to monitor patient stats through NFC-enabled wristbands. 
• NFC is used in wireless charging, Bluetooth, and Wifi too.

News Source: The Hindu

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