The question was asked of 1000 NFC-equipped smartphone users. Six out of ten did not know.

NFC technology: still poorly known
Near Field Communication is a type of contactless communication technology for exchanging information over very short distances (maximum of a few centimetres) between a mobile terminal (after confirmation by the user) and a receiver.

Today NFC is little used because it is poorly known, as the results of a survey conducted by Clear Channel Communications in the US and Great Britain show.

While 6 out of 10 people surveyed didn’t know they had NFC on their mobile phones, 51% had nevertheless heard about this technology and 18% had already used it.

After being shown what NFC could do, 60% of respondents said they were very interested.

Graphics ©Clear Channel/Paperscope

Interesting technology lacking publicity
NFC is already used, among other applications, for exchanging information between mobile devices, secure m-payments, electronic travel passes and ticket services.

Confronted with their obvious lack of knowledge about NFC, the people surveyed suggested several potential sources of information: mobile network operators (73%), businesses using NFC (61%), mobile phone manufacturers (51%), mobile terminal retailers (50%), banks (42%), businesses using NFC smart posters (33%), advertising and marketing agencies (20%), and governments (19%).

NFC ready for take-off
Deloitte has estimated that there will be 200 million NFC-compatible mobile telephones in existence in 2013, and according to a Berg Insight analysis: 700 million in 2016, compared with 30 million in 2011.