NTC issues rules on radio frequency identification

The National Telecommunications Commission has released the final rules governing radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment and devices, thus allowing RFID for commercial use in the country.

NTC deputy commissioner Jorge Sarmiento said the rules will be effective within the next two weeks after the NTC circular on RFIDs is published in major newspapers.

RFID technology is a short-range radio automatic identification system consisting of a small radio emitting tag that sends stored data to a reader.

It is seen as a replacement to bar codes, with practical applications ranging from item warehousing, cargo to vehicle tracking, and contact-less payment system to office security.

A few retail outlets, such as Powerbooks and M1 Music Store, are already using RFID tags for inventory tracking and as theft deterrent. A public reading on the proposed RFID rules was conducted late last year.

NTC, in its memorandum order, said that all equipment are also required to carry the type that it approved, with charges between P50 and P100 depending on the equipment's signal strength.

While permitting the use of RFID in the country, the NTC has assigned several radio frequencies specific only to RFID devices. These are the 13.553 to 13.567 Megahertz, the 918 to 920 MHz, and the 2446 to 2454 MHz ranges.

NTC said that the maximum effective radiated power for RFID readers is between 500-miliwatts and two watts.

The advantage of RFID is that it does not require direct contact or line-of-sight scanning. An RFID system consists of three components: an antenna and transceiver (often combined into one reader), and a transponder (the tag).

The antenna uses radio frequency waves to transmit a signal that activates the transponder. When activated, the tag transmits data back to the antenna.

The data is used to notify a programmable logic controller that an action should occur. The action could be as simple as raising an access gate or as complicated as interfacing with a database to carry out a monetary transaction. - Jasmin R. Uy