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07 April 2025
8 min read
Celebrating more than 50 Years of Mobile Evolution
By Bertrand Moussel
SVP of Marketing, Product & Strategy at Valid.
On April 3rd, 1973, a revolutionary moment took place in the streets of New York. Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, stood on a sidewalk and made the first-ever call from a handheld mobile phone. He famously called his rival at Bell Labs to share the breakthrough—ushering in a new era of communication that would change the world forever.
Fifty years later, we don’t just make phone calls. We navigate cities, monitor our health, stream music and movies, pay for groceries, attend work meetings, and even activate mobile subscriptions—all from a device that fits in our pocket.
A Journey of Transformation

When Cooper made that historic call, the mobile phone was bulky, the battery life was short, and the idea of widespread mobile communication was a futuristic dream. Fast forward five decades, and mobile connectivity has evolved at lightning speed—from analog networks to 5G, from physical SIM cards to eSIM, from standalone devices to a fully connected ecosystem of smartphones, smartwatches, and IoT devices.
Throughout this journey, devices have become smarter, faster, and more integrated into our daily lives. The modern mobile phone is no longer just a communication device—it’s a digital companion that connects us to everything and everyone.

Valid: Six Decades of Trusted Connectivity

At Valid, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing—and actively contributing to—this transformation. With more than 50 years of experience in enabling secure, scalable, and interoperable connectivity solutions, our mission has always been to anticipate the future of mobile and digital identity.
We believe that true innovation in mobile connectivity lies not just in the device, but in the infrastructure that powers it. That’s why we’ve consistently invested in platforms like Over-the-Air (OTA) management and Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP), creating secure bridges between users and networks across the globe.

The Rise of eSIM and Seamless Mobility

One of the most game-changing advances in recent years has been the emergence of eSIM technology. Unlike traditional SIM cards, eSIMs are embedded directly into devices, allowing users to switch networks or activate a new mobile plan without ever opening the device or visiting a store.
This has been particularly transformative for travelers, who can now land in a new country and instantly connect to a local network via QR code or a mobile app. What once required physical SIM swaps and long wait times can now happen in seconds—securely and remotely.
At Valid, we’ve been working on solutions that make this experience smooth and trusted. Our Remote SIM Provisioning platform is designed to give mobile operators and end-users the confidence and flexibility to manage profiles anywhere in the world. It’s a far cry from 1973, when even making a single call required innovation and bravery.

Looking Ahead

Articles across the tech world this month—from The Verge. and BBC—have revisited that iconic moment with Martin Cooper. Many reflect not just on the engineering marvel of that first mobile call, but also on how it sparked a cultural, technological, and social shift that’s still unfolding today.
As we celebrate this incredible 52-year milestone, we also look ahead. Valid is committed to shaping the next chapter of mobile connectivity—one that’s not only smarter but also more secure, inclusive, and sustainable.
Because the future of mobile isn’t just about making a call. It’s about making a connection that people can trust.

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Environmental compensation

In order to make a significant difference and bring a real benefit to our environment and planet, Valid decided to create, together with Plastic Bank, an environmental compensation program.

Plastic Bank is a social enterprise empowering a regenerative society. They build ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and reprocess the materials for reintroduction into the global supply chain as Social PlasticTM.

Their collectors receive a compensation for the materials they collect which helps them to provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance.

Their certified blockchain platform secures the entire transaction and provides real-time data visualization – allowing for transparency, traceability, and rapid scalability.

Compensation Program

With this goal, Plastic Bank is relying on companies like Valid to support the collection process of the plastic in order to:

Mitigate the impact of many corporations and potentially reduce, offset or decrease the plastic footprint of their operations.

Improve the social and economic situations in different regions of the world by creating job opportunities through plastic waste collection.

Supports environmental stewardship and circular economy.

For every SIM card that our customers sell to their consumers under this program, Valid will collect one plastic bottle from the environment.