It what amounts to another expansionary effort in the world of social networking, Gemalto has unveiled Facebook for SIM at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Gemalto, a global leader in digital security, says Facebook for SIM lets anyone use Facebook despite their handset – even if the device lacks a data connection or data subscription.

Effectively, Gemalto is poised to potentially bring Facebook to scores of new mobile phone users.

“Increasingly people want to be able to stay connected and communicate with their friends on Facebook anytime, anywhere,” said Henri Moissinac, head of mobile business at Facebook. “Gemalto has developed a creative solution in Facebook for SIM that enables people without mobile data plans to stay connected to their friends on Facebook in an affordable way.”

So how does it work?

According to the process outlined in the official announcement by Gemalto, Facebook for SIM is virtually available to everyone. “No data contract or application download is needed,” the company says, “because the software is embedded in the SIM and it uses SMS technology.” Consequently, it works for prepaid as well as for pay-monthly customers.

Following an initial limited free trial period, Gemalto says, Facebook for SIM “then operates on a subscription model via an unlimited pass for a given period of time.”

Gemalto’s software development team has embedded the software application into the SIM. This ensures the Facebook application is “compatible with 100% of SIM-compliant mobile phones.”

And just in case you’re wondering, yes, access to core Facebook features are all there, including friend requests, status updates, wall posts, and messages.