ZTE is using Turkey as a springboard into the European mobile payments market, leveraging what it claims is the first SIM-based NFC handset in the country.
The Chinese vendor has deployed its ZTE Racer II handset through incumbent carrier Turkcell, claiming the unit to be the first in the country to offer wireless toll road payments. The Android-based smartphone, dubbed Turkcell T11 in the market, is also geared up for use on the 60,000 contactless point-of-sale terminals currently available in Turkey.
“ZTE offers a number of NFC handsets around the world,” explains Kan Yulun, vice president and chief technical officer at ZTE’s handset division, adding. “Our next target is Europe.”