Telekom prepaid customers can quickly and easily transfer their data from their ID card

To implement ยง 111 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG) for prepaid legitimation, Telekom Deutschland GmbH is now relying on secure reading of the chip from the ID card and electronic residence permit (eAT). The data on the chip can thus be transferred to the sales interface quickly, easily and without media discontinuity using Telekom's Smart ID Check app.

To read out the chip data, Telekom Deutschland relies on technology from the Bremen-based IT security software specialists Governikus GmbH & Co. KG. On the one hand, the new Smart ID Check app uses the federal government's proven AusweisApp2, which has been used millions of times and is developed and maintained by Governikus on behalf of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI); specifically, the Software Development Kit (SDK) for Android. Another special feature of the Smart ID Check app is the use of the Smart Credential Framework. This makes it possible to easily adapt the app to other usage scenarios in the future.

On the server side, Telekom Deutschland accesses the eID service from Governikus. The Bremen-based company offers this service on the basis of its own Governikus Autent software.

On-site readout in accordance with the Identity Card Act

The German ID Card Act makes it possible: The data contained on the chip of the ID card and the eAT can be used not only for online ID card functionality but also for on-site reading. After a photo comparison by a sales point employee and the customer's consent, the data is read from the chip using Telekom's Smart ID Check app developed for checking identification and transferred directly to the sales interface. This saves time and minimizes potential sources of error in a manual transfer. With a successful readout process, the legitimation has also taken place.

"We made a conscious decision to work with Governikus because of their many years of experience and technology leadership," says Ralf Mennecke, project manager at Telekom Deutschland GmbH. "During the project, the experts from Bremen were on hand to advise us and thus helped us to ensure that, after a pilot phase in around 300 sales points, we will be able to go live in 1,700 sales points nationwide on time on August 31," Mennecke continued.

"The introduction of on-site reading at Telekom Deutschland GmbH based on our developments is another milestone for the success of the ID card," explains Hartje Bruns, Director Products and mainly responsible for the eID division at Governikus. "When Telekom customers experience live on-site in the branch how easy and fast the data transfer is done by means of a smartphone, they will use the ID card online at home in the future as well. Of course, we are all the more pleased that Telekom Deutschland GmbH has put its trust in our technologies and know-how," adds Bruns.

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