What Is the Theoretical Maximum Lifespan of an RFID Tag?

If NFC tag retention time is based on chip memory, could the life of a tag be extended beyond the typical 10 years if the memory were periodically rewritten? I’d expect ambient inhabited indoor environmental conditions and read-write cycles well below specification maximum. This is not my field, so my apologies for any oversights.

—Val

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Val,

To answer your question, I reached out to Amir Khoshniyati, the general manager and VP of the transponder business at  Identiv, a leading provider of NFC and passive UHF RFID systems. Amir says the lifespan of a tag does not correlate to memory. “It has to do with the environment in which it is kept,” he states. “In a stable environment, an NFC tag can last for 20 years or more.” I would add that I have not heard of tags no longer working due to their age. In fact, I believe there are companies still using tags that were deployed more than 20 years ago.

Sincerely,
Mark Roberti
Founder and Editor
RFID Journal