For the first time in nearly 150 years, Finland has officially ended its landline telephone era after the country’s last major fixed-line operator disconnected its service.
Telecom company Elisa switched off its landline network on Tuesday, bringing to a close a chapter in Finland’s communications history that dates back to the 1880s.
The symbolic final call was made between Elisa’s Chief Executive Officer, Topi Manner, and Jarkko Saarimäki, head of Finland’s communications and transport agency.
During the conversation, the pair reflected on the importance of landline telephones over the decades. Manner recalled living in London as a teenager during the 1980s, when he arranged a weekly call home at a fixed time so his family would be available to answer.
They also discussed the future of mobile technology before ending the historic call with the Finnish farewell, “kuulemiin”, meaning “speak later”.
Finland introduced landline telephone services in the 1880s, and by the 1960s the country ranked seventh in Europe for landline subscriptions. The number of fixed-line phones in Finnish homes reached its highest level in the early 1990s.
However, the rapid rise of mobile phones triggered a steady decline in landline use. As the home of mobile phone pioneer Nokia, Finland became one of the world’s earliest adopters of mobile technology, accelerating the transition to wireless communication.
Major telecom operators began shutting down their landline services in 2019, while another provider ended support for its fixed-line network earlier this year.
Elisa said it had stopped selling new landline subscriptions years ago as customers increasingly embraced digital communication.
The company added that private customers can retain their existing landline numbers by transferring them to mobile-based subscriptions, while businesses will be offered suitable replacement solutions.
