Connectivity is no longer a luxury for travelers, it has become essential infrastructure. But as the world transitions from physical SIM cards to invisible digital profiles, what does it mean for tech companies to operate responsibly?
In Episode 8 of eSIM Talks, host Rafael Junquera sits down with Daniela Prado, Brand Director at Holafly, and Remi de Fouchier, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Innovation at Thales Mobile Connectivity Solutions. Together, they explore a side of the telecommunications industry that often gets overlooked: what corporate responsibility actually looks like when connectivity moves from physical plastic cards into the cloud, how digital services carry hidden environmental costs, and why keeping people connected is now a matter of safety and social inclusion.
1. Beyond convenience: Connectivity as essential infrastructure
The conversation begins by reframing how we view mobile internet during travel. When people lose access to data in a foreign country, the issue goes far beyond not being able to post on social media. It creates immediate anxiety, disrupts basic logistics, and leaves travelers feeling helpless. Daniela Prado explains that for Holafly, responsible connectivity means making the service so reliable, simple, and accessible that travelers do not even have to think about it. When technology works effortlessly behind the scenes, it becomes an invisible safety net that supports everyday travel tasks like translating languages, making digital payments, accessing booking details, and reaching out for help in an emergency.
Remi de Fouchier expands on this idea from an industry perspective, suggesting that mobile connectivity has essentially moved into the base of human needs. Beyond traditional holiday tourists, reliable and affordable mobile connectivity is a vital lifeline for digital nomads who depend on it for work, as well as seasonal laborers, displaced persons, and refugees who need constant access to digital networks to navigate new environments, manage their livelihoods, and stay in touch with families back home.
2. The hidden carbon footprint of the digital world
A central topic of the episode is dismantling the common belief that moving from physical SIM cards to digital eSIMs automatically eliminates environmental impact. While removing physical plastic cards, cardboard packaging, and international shipping is a major environmental win, the digital world comes with its own hidden costs, a phenomenon known in tech as the rebound effect.
Remi explains that while the physical SIM card is gone, the underlying infrastructure still relies on physical devices, data centers, and cloud servers that consume significant amounts of electricity. To address this, Thales structures its sustainability around three core pillars: society, planet, and people. The company focuses on eco-designing its cloud services, optimizing software logic to consume less computing power, and carefully selecting energy-efficient data center providers. Rather than making unrealistic promises about achieving zero emissions overnight, the focus is on establishing concrete, audited plans to continuously measure and reduce the carbon footprint generated by digital data processing.
3. Data privacy and future-proof security
Responsible connectivity also means taking full ownership of user security and privacy. Because mobile connectivity relies on exchanging sensitive authentication keys to grant devices access to local networks, protecting these digital identities is critical. Remi notes that Thales operates its cloud data centers in Europe under strict GDPR compliance, storing cryptographic keys in isolated, independent vaults that cannot be accessed by third-party cloud providers, guaranteeing true data sovereignty for users.
Looking ahead, the discussion turns to emerging cyber threats like quantum computing. While powerful quantum computers are still years away, malicious actors are already collecting encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it in the future, a concept known as “harvest now, decrypt later.” To keep user data safe over the long term, technology providers must build crypto-agility into their systems, allowing security algorithms to be updated dynamically over time to withstand future quantum attacks before they happen.
4. Driving social impact in local communities
Towards the second half of the episode, the focus shifts to how companies must take responsibility for the destinations their users visit. Daniela highlights that tourism often becomes purely about consumption, leaving travelers unaware of the pressure they place on local environments and communities. To address this, Holafly launched a corporate social responsibility initiative in Colombia called “Valientes Colombia”. The program focuses on supporting vulnerable communities in areas heavily impacted by issues like child exploitation and sexual tourism. Because smartphones and internet access have become primary tools used by online groomers, Holafly works directly with local schools, teachers, parents, and children to deliver educational workshops and prevention materials. The goal is to teach young people how to navigate the digital world safely, while encouraging travelers and businesses alike to practice more conscious and protective tourism.
Looking to the future: The 9-year horizon
To wrap up the episode, Rafael asks both guests to look ahead nine years into the future. Remi predicts that embedded digital profiles will become the universal standard not just for smartphones, but for millions of connected devices globally, making physical SIM cards obsolete. However, he stresses that true progress will be measured by transparent, audited reductions in carbon emissions across the tech supply chain rather than vague marketing claims. Daniela adds that the ultimate goal for the coming decade is to scale social protection programs, ensuring that as global travel and digital access expand, local communities are protected, educated, and empowered to thrive alongside the travel industry.
