Radio-Frequency ID Technology Takes Off
Date : 25 Sep 2008 Category : Technology
NewsFactor NetworkRFID technology uses readers that beam a radio signal to gather information from data tags, which come in two flavors-active and passive. Active tags, used by the Defense Department to track large containers, are powered by an internal battery, allowing them to initiate communication and hold data that can be rewritten or modified and transmitted over a distance of about 300 feet. Passive RFID tags have a shorter range, about 30 feet, and get their operating power from the reader. Data on a passive tag typically is read-only, which means the tag cannot be modified.
In January the Homeland security Department's Customs and Border Protection directorate awarded a $62 million contract to Unisys to equip 380 traffic lanes at 39 of the nation's busiest border crossings, which process an average of 850,000 travelers a day with RFID technology and license plate readers. It's one of the largest passive RFID projects in federal government.
As of June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens crossing land or sea borders will be required to carry an RFID travel document issued by the State Department as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Kelly Klundt, a Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman, said the agency has launched an aggressive construction and deployment schedule to meet the deadline.
As of mid-June, State had received 350,000 applications for RFID-equipped passport cards, which look like driver's licenses. And two states, Washington and New York, have started issuing enhanced driver's licenses equipped with RFID chips for border crossings.
The new travel documents are designed to tighten security at U.S. land borders, but that's not the only benefit. "Deploying RFID will be...