European Commission22h ago

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.

Show threadTuukka R

@EUCommission

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 :)

Autoradiopuhelin - Wikipedia

Apr 3 at 7:57amWeb
Show threadSammi21h ago
@Tuuktuuk @EUCommission The Finnish system was a car phone and didn't swap between cells. Martin Cooper made the first public cell phone call from a mobile phone.
Show threadTuukka R21h ago

@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!

Show threadSammi21h ago

@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.

Show threadTuukka R21h ago

@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!

Show threadSammi20h ago

@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.