In late 2015, two EU Member States trialled Mobile Connect, establishing proof-of-concept of cross-border authentication to e-Government services. The pilot, launched on November 16, demonstrated how Mobile Connect could be used to identify a EU-citizen of one Member State to enable them to access a public service of another. Mobile Connect offers a simple eIDAS-compatible way of achieving pan-European federation of cross-border services for EU governments, whilst enabling growth in digital public services.
The trial took place between Catalonia and Finland, enabling customers of participating Spanish operators (Orange Spain, Telefonica and Vodafone Spain) to login to a Finnish eGovernment service (the Finnish Ministry of Finance and Finnish Population Registration Centre). At the same time, Finnish customers of TeliaSonera could login, through a digital identity validator, to access the complete public services portfolio for the Catalonia Regional Government. The customer experience is the same in both countries: After the customer presses the Mobile Connect button and enters their mobile number on the discovery page, a PIN request appears on their mobile phone. If they enter the correct PIN, the user’s identity is confirmed and the customer is logged-in to the eGovernment online service. Gemalto and the Mobile World Capital supported the trial.
The trial commenced only weeks after the EU’s recent adoption of the implementation rules of the eIDAS Regulation, which makes the EU the first and only region in the world to have a legal framework for safe cross-border access to services and online interactions between businesses, citizens and public authorities. The Regulation aims to enhance trust in electronic transactions in the EU internal market by providing a common foundation for secure electronic interaction between citizens, businesses and public authorities, thereby increasing the effectiveness of online services in the EU.
With the demand for secure and convenient authentication for digital services at an all-time high, the pilot further illustrates the market readiness of Mobile Connect. To find out more, register for our webinar on 03 February 2016.