Near Field Communication(NFC) Technology

Why in news?

• Google Pay has launched a new feature – to allow users with NFC-enabled Android smartphones and UPI accounts linked to Google Pay to carry out transactions just by tapping their phones on any Pine Labs Android point-of-sale (POS) terminal across the country.

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 and easily with a single touch — whether to pay bills, exchange business cards, download coupons or share a document.

How does NFC work?

• 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.

Bluetooth v/s NFC:

• Operating Distance:
  • NFC tends to operate on a shorter distance – less than 4 cm, whilst Bluetooth offers an operating range of up to 10m.
  • However, this increased range can come at a cost. Bluetooth is more likely to have interference in transmission due to its longer range, whereas NFC’s shorter distance enables a stronger connection with no interference.
• Technology Setup
  • Bluetooth requires a manual setup to pair the devices. In most cases, you will need to enter a PIN code and configure some settings to pair the devices.
  • On the other hand, the NFC connection is quite easy to establish with no authentication needed. With NFC enabled devices, all you need to do is to turn the devices on and bring them within proximity of each other. The data transfer via NFC technology happens instantaneously and doesn't require any additional hassle.
• Power Usage
  • In most cases, NFC consumes less power than Bluetooth devices.
  • It operates on a low-power radio transmitter/receiver and doesn't affect the battery of the device much. As such, NFC can be kept 'ON' all the time without draining the battery too much.
  • The only instance where NFC would require more power than Bluetooth is when it's powering a passive, unpowered source.
  • The only exception is when the device utilises BLE technology, which tends to use less power than NFC powered devices.
• Radio-frequency identification (RFID) Compatibility
  • NFC has a unique ability to work with passive RFID tags, therefore it’s more convenient to use with an existing RFID-enabled access control system.
  • Bluetooth, on the other hand, is not compatible with RFID and hence less flexible than NFC.
• Security
  • NFC tends to be more secure than Bluetooth, as it operates on a shorter range allowing for a more stable connection.
  • Therefore, NFC tends to be a better solution for crowded and busy places, where a lot of different devices are trying to communicate with each other, creating signal interference.
  • On the other hand, even though Bluetooth has a PIN-based authentication, it still faces security issues and can be quite vulnerable to hacker attacks.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Which of the following statements is/are not correct regarding Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology?

(a) It transmits data through electromagnetic radio fields

(b) It has a unique ability to work with passive RFID tags

(c) It consumes more power than Bluetooth devices

(d) It tends to operate on a shorter distance

Answer