2 May 2012 (ERR)

The mobile ID service has celebrated an anniversary: five years ago, it became possible to authenticate one's identity over cell phones using a special chip and public-key cryptography.

Mobiil-ID is today a state-issued document used by 30,000 people, 80 percent of them regularly.

The digital signing and authentication technology is used an average of 30 times per person per month.

According to Kalev Pihl, director of Sertifitseerimiskeskus AS, the certification authority, Mobiil-ID has a secure niche. "Mobiil-ID is most used for bank services," he said.

Tiit Tammiste, head of the technology division of wireless operator EMT, considers Mobiil-ID the first milepost in porting digital identity and various services to smartphones.

"The next step after authentication and digital signatures will be that mobile phones take on bank card functions - work is in progress in this direction with leading Estonian banks," Tammiste said.

Mobiil-ID was originally introduced by Sertifitseerimiskeskus and EMT.

The general elections in March 2011 were the first where voters could cast their ballot by cell phone.