From a call with a range of a few city blocks to a seamless Digital Single Market.📱
While on this day in 1973, M. Cooper made history by initiating the first cell call, Europe’s GSM standard marked the global revolution that digitised mobile tech.
Since 2017, the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home’ has transformed international connectivity:
🔸€0 extra for data, calls, texts
🔸Seamless 5G
🔸No unexpected charges on boats
🔸As of 2026, includes Ukraine and Moldova
Free for you. Fair for operators.
At least https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoradiopuhelin claims that mobile phones were used already in 1971, so the call in 1973 cannot have been the first one.
But of course, back then Finland was not part of EU but UK was, so probably that was the first mobile phone call in a member state of an organisation that later got renamed to EU.
EU roaming is a very cool thing all the same :)
@SamanthaJaneSmith @EUCommission
Ah, so ARP was a mobile phone, but not a cell phone? Cool distinction; thanks!
In a way, a car phone that is unable to switch cells is an awesome safety feature. You basically must stop your car for the call in order to make sure it won't drop. Although, not being a digital system, you could probably hear from the radio noise that it's time to park your car somewhere? :)
Also, cell switching in 1973? Ph33r!
@Tuuktuuk @EUCommission It was mobile in the sense you needed a large box in the car and a car battery. So it's really a car phone as opposed to a fully mobile phone I guess. But it all depends how you define it.
Yeah Motorola were really pioneers in 1973.
@SamanthaJaneSmith @EUCommission
I bet the Motorola phone had a very very bulky battery as well, though. Or alternatively, you maybe needed to plug it to an electrical outlet in order to use it for more than 2 minutes!
@Tuuktuuk @EUCommission Apparently it weighed about a kg.
Definitions are always difficult. My view is there is a difference between car phones and hand held phones even if they are both mobile.... But it really IMHO doesn't matter too much.
Decisions to leave, and decisions to join both have consequences.
If you are "disappointed" by that, the #EU is the wrong addressee for your complaints.
Thankfully, some networks (such as O2 and giffgaff) still provide inclusive EU roaming, while the main providers (EE, Three UK, and Vodafone UK) retain inclusive roaming for the Republic of Ireland because of the Common Travel Area and inadvertent roaming issues.
The current UK Labour Government has ruled out rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union, in accordance with their 2024 election manifesto. However, the UK government is calling for a closer partnership with the EU due to the current geopolitical situation. Things will get interesting in due course.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62l6w03lwzo
"The current UK Labour Government has ruled out rejoining the Single Market and Customs Union"? 😂
I can assure you most EU citizens are ruling that out for at least 2 decades, too.
We wouldn't be in our right minds to re-invite cherrypickers that consider the EU primarily a "Single Market and Customs Union", from which to extract as many membership benefits as possible, with as many exceptions as possible regarding membership obligations – just because they "noticed" their beloved Brexit didn't go as promised.
The exhausting post-2016 Brexit negotiations, burning and wasting political energy that would have been sorely needed elsewhere, have left a lasting impression. No thanks!
The current manifesto of the UK Labour government rules out rejoining the EU Customs Union, the Single Market, and Freedom of Movement. However, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently stated: "The facts have changed... which is why [in] this parliament, we should rejoin the customs union and single market." With the current geopolitical situation, anything could happen at this point.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/18/sadiq-khan-urges-labour-to-campaign-on-rejoining-eu-at-next-election
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62l6w03lwzo
Overall, some networks (such as O2 and giffgaff) still provide inclusive EU roaming, while the main providers (EE, Three UK, and Vodafone UK) retain inclusive roaming for the Republic of Ireland because of the Common Travel Area and inadvertent roaming issues.
@EUCommission
> includes Ukraine and Moldova
…but still not Switzerland and the shores of Lake Constance.
European Commission
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