Your mobile phone as your train ticket

Commuters in Tokyo could soon be swiping their mobile phones, or keitai, past railway station gates, thanks to a new system currently being developed by NTT DoCoMo and railway operator East Japan Railway.

According to a report in the Mainichi Shimbun, DoCoMo will equip their mobile phones with the railway operator's Suica technology, an approach which allows users to pass gantries by brushing their commuter passes over a designated mark on the station gates.

The Suica passes house an integrated circuit chip and antenna, enabling them to act as prepaid fare cards and railway tickets. DoCoMo officials said it's technically possible to incorporate this into phones.

Coined Mobile Suica, the new system is targeted for deployment by year-end.

Elsewhere in Asia, mobile phone-based payment platforms are also gaining traction.

In Singapore, for instance, IT vendors have recently debuted a string of payment solutions which allow users to pay for items such library fines, movie tickets and car park charges via their cell phones.

Winston Chai writes for CNETAsia.