Gemalto today announced it is one of the suppliers selected by China Telecom for its UpTeq Multi-Tenant NFC SIM to support their commercial rollout of mobile contactless services, according to a press release.

China Telecom is a leading operator in China with more than 183 million subscribers. The high-end SIM is embedded with Gemalto’s LTE management software, enabling China Telecom subscribers to access NFC services with the convenience and speed of mobile broadband, according to a press release.

China Telecom subscribers will be able to choose from multiple types of NFC-enabled mobile phones to make payments for transportation, dining, shopping and fuel throughout the country, according to a press release. Airport check-ins, personal authentication services and employee ID services will be introduced in the future. The Gemalto UpTeq Multi-Tenant NFC SIM has been specially developed and customized by Gemalto for China Telecom. It is qualified by the operator and is part of a broader family of high-end products certified by China UnionPay.

"With smartphone penetration in China surpassing 66 percent and over 3 million contactless POS terminals in the field, the mobile payment ecosystem is in place. The major players in China are launching NFC initiatives, enabling China Telecom’s subscribers to experience a rich variety of contactless services," Suzanne Tong-Li, president of Greater China and Korea at Gemalto, said in a press release. "The UpTeq SIM's additional LTE feature will enable China Telecom to deliver an enhanced NFC experience to their customers, leveraging the accelerated download of NFC applications using their LTE network."