NFC Forum, the global standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, has announced that two of its specifications have been formally adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as global standards.
The IEC recognition of the NFC Wireless Charging (NFC WLC) Specification and NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) Technical Specification represents a significant milestone for NFC Forum, and the wider NFC and Wireless Charging ecosystem. The recognition enables NFC Forum Standard alignment with regulatory directives— such as the EU Common Charging Directive and EU Digital Product Passport initiatives— as well as broader international NFC deployment by national and supranational organizations, according to NFC Forum officials.
The NFC WLC and NDEF Technical Specifications underwent the IEC’s rigorous review process to be approved as global standards. This included a multi-stage voting process by national committees from countries across the globe. Their formal adoption was the result of unanimous international consensus that the specifications meet the criteria of being technically precise, openly developed, testable and having trusted governance.
NFC Forum’s Mike McCamon
NFC Forum leaders said they will continue to work with the IEC to ensure alignment between the global IEC standards and any future updates to the WLC and NDEF Specifications.
“The formal adoption…brings confidence to businesses that are already using NFC Forum-compliant technologies or looking to implement them in future technology roadmaps,” said Mike McCamon, Executive Director of NFC Forum in a statement. “They can be assured that industry-driven innovation is underpinned by formal international standardization, which will not only help to accelerate NFC WLC adoption, but also reduce market fragmentation and improve reliability for smaller devices and form factors worldwide.”
Defining New Specifications
NFC Forum provides a framework to ensure interoperability for manufacturers, product managers, regulators and end users of WLC technology, as the WLC specification is the only IEC recognized standard meeting the specific needs of low power (below 3W) devices and use cases.
The NFC WLC Specification standardizes the wireless charging of small battery-powered devices using the existing NFC communication interface and is already used by more than 100 million devices currently in the market. These devices include wireless earbuds, smart glasses, digital stylus pens, headsets, fitness trackers and other consumer products. NFC Forum has a robust testing method for its specifications, offering a wireless charging certification program that ensures products conform to the NFC WLC specification. This helps give manufacturers and consumers confidence in product interoperability, safety, and performance consistency.
The NDEF Technical Specification defines a common data format for NFC Forum-compliant devices and tags. This standardizes the structure, exchange and interpretation of data records. Used together, the WLC and NDEF standards enable two devices to exchange the required information to safely set up and manage charging, before power transfer occurs.