UK national ID plans unveiled
Government will issue 60 million cards over the next decade; technology will be compatible with ePassports and banking smart cards; total cost estimated at $10.5 billion
The United Kingdom this week unveiled some the details of its planned national ID card — one that could ultimately be carried by 60 million British citizens and foreign nationals residing in the country. The card will be compatible with the UK’s ePassports as well as the chip-and-PIN smart cards that UK banks have issued to their cardholders over the past few years. According to Card Technology, “That would suggest the card would have both a contact interface to work with payment terminals and also work in contactless mode, like the e-passports that communicate with readers via radio signals.” The government anticipates issuing only 50,000 smart card IDs in 2008 but as many as 700,000 per year by 2009.
The government estimated the 10-year cost of the program at $10.5 billion, with 70% of the expense to meet international standards for electronic passports, including offices where citizens can personally apply for passports and enroll their biometrics (by 2009 applicants will also have their 10 fingerprints scanned and stored on the passport’s chip, in line with EU requirements.) Still, experts at the London School of Economics puts the likely cost at three times the government estimate.
-read more in this Card Technology report
