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ID cards: the truth
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Contactless RFID chips in ID cardsID cards will be 'contactless' cards because they do not need to be inserted into a card reader to be read, they just need to pass within a few feet of the card reader, thanks to the RFID chips inside the cards. Will we even know that our cards are being scanned for information? The article also points out that the 'contactless' option is more expensive. 28 April 2006 From The Home Office has indicated that it is likely to adopt a "contactless" form of smart card for the National Identity Card.
This follows the publication of the Smart Card Durability Survey on 27 April that collected views from smart card producers and organisations that use them on the technology options.
A Home Office spokesperson told Government Computing News that it would need a contactless feature - through which a reader could pick up the details of the card from a few metres away - to meet international travel requirements.
"It has been indicated that the identity card programme is intended to enable the cardholder to travel in Europe," the spokesperson said. "Thus, it will need to comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements for travel documents.
"As a result, under new requirements for travel documents (both passports and identity cards), contactless functionality will need to be included to operate at borders.
"This functionality is being included in the current UK passport as well as in passports across the world."
Respondents to the survey indicated that, despite the recent emergence of the technology, it is feasible to expect contactless cards to have a 10 year lifespan. There are some issues around the way the antenna is inlaid into the card and the strength of its connection to the chip. Also, they are 15 per cent to 30 per cent more expensive than contact cards.
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NO2ID campaign Defy ID network |
