RFID Passive

The United Nations co-ordinates international mail through the Universal Postal Union. They have recently implemented a new Global Monitoring System (GMS), using passive RFID tags to track international deliveries of letter-post in order to monitor quality of service.

From August to December 2009, over twenty thousand letters containing passive RFID tags will be sent through 45 international postal facilities. The tags will identify the letters as they pass through post office exchanges throughout the world, and the tracking information will be used by the UPU to help improve efficiency and identify areas of concern.

In development over the past three years, the GMS has been made possible by the availability of low cost passive RFID tags. At an average of 30 US cents each, their affordability allows the extension of the monitoring system to a wide range of countries, both developing and industrialized. 21 countries are taking part in the first phase of the project.

Individual postal organisations will be able to use the GMS to assess their domestic service quality, improving which should also lead to an improvement in international mail performance.

From the start of 2010, an additional thirty countries are expected to join the project. It is hoped that up to 100 countries will be involved by 2012.

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