Isis, the recently-formed mobile payment network, announced it will begin its first pilot program in early-to-mid 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Network officials also said it will work with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) to make contactless payments available throughout the UTA transit system. 

Isis was formed in November 2010 as a joint venture between three of the four largest wireless carriers in the U.S.: AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless. The JV was chartered to create a nationwide mobile payment system allowing consumers to use their phones to pay for goods at the point-of-sale using near field communication (NFC) technologies. 

“By working with the Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake Chamber and Salt Lake City-area merchants, Isis is bringing the mobile commerce vision to reality. Salt Lake City consumers will experience a new way to shop, pay and save,” said Michael Abbott, chief executive officer at Isis.

Since its formation, other than announcing the hiring of key executives, Isis has been relatively quiet. This is its first public statement discussing how it plans to roll out the network.

Isis officials said the company is also investing in infrastructure to build out its mobile payment network on a nation-wide basis, and the network will be available to all merchants, banks, payment networks and wireless carriers.

Sprint Nextel Corp., the only major wireless carrier not involved with Isis, has said it will offer its own wireless payment network as early as this year.