Thailand’s NBTC to launch mobile banking fingerprint app

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the independent government agency which oversees and regulates the Thai telecoms and the broadcasting industry, will launch a mobile banking application later this year that allows clients to securely sign into their accounts using their fingerprints, according to a report by the Bangkok Post.

The telecom regulator has spent 7 million baht (US$202,374) developing the application over the past few months, according to NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith.

The application will operate as an additional registration system for mobile phone users accessing mobile banking services.

“The fingerprint system is to complement existing registration systems. NBTC will not force all mobile users to register with the new system,” said Tantasith. “It will encourage them to do so for their own benefit, especially when they use mobile banking.”

Although he did not specify the process in which customers would login using their fingerprints, Tantasith did confirm that the app will be compatible with all major mobile phone operating systems.

Users will be able to register for the new service at mobile phone operators’ outlets once it is launched.

The app will be able to send data to NBTC’s server, which is connected to telecom operators. In addition, the app will undergo public hearings in October before it is launched at the end of the year, Tantasith said.

Article Topics

banking  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  mobile app