OV, a global mobile network specialising in IoT connectivity, has become one of the UK’s first networks to switch to environmentally friendly SIM cards following a partnership with IDEMIA.
Globally, an estimated 4.7 billion SIM cards were produced in 2020 according to ABI research, and IDEMIA is part of the movement offering greener SIM solutions. Made from 100% recycled plastic and with cardboard packaging, if all telecom companies switched to recycled SIMs it’s estimated that it would save 20,000 tons of virgin plastic a year.
IDEMIA, a French head-quartered global leader in Augmented Identity, will supply the SIMs to OV. Offering sustainable products for its customers is part of OV’s wider commitment to reducing its impact on the environment and the eco-SIMS are available now to OV’s business customers. The bulk of stock allocated for 2021 has been distributed to IoT customers in the lone-working and security sectors utilising wearable devices.
OV sits within the Manx Telecom Group, which in 2021 unveiled an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) road map to align with the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals to tackle climate change by 2030. As part of this initiative, the Manx Telecom Group now also uses 50% less paper than in 2020 and has installed electric car charging points at its HQ.
Grant Proctor, Head of Products at OV, “As the global division of Manx, OV is mindful of reducing our impact on the environment worldwide. Partnering with IDEMIA is one of the many ways we are trying to make our operations greener, and we look forward to making further environmentally conscious decisions by working alongside them on sustainable innovations. Some of our other eco initiatives include reducing consumption of materials in our operations, reusing rather than disposing wherever possible, and cutting down on harmful emissions wherever it is practical to do so.”
Fabien Jautard, Executive Vice-President of the Mobile Operators Business Unit, IDEMIA, “At IDEMIA, we strive to promote business practices which naturally comply with the protection of the environment. We believe that we can go a long way by offering sustainable solutions that allow for a seamless transition to more environmentally friendly practices. We are very pleased to see how business partners like OV are taking advantage of this momentum within their own product lines and services, and proud to be playing an important role that’s impacting the telecom industry for the better.”
