News

End of the line — Finland says goodbye to fixed-line phone network

Finland has had a landline telephone network since the 1880s, but the lines will fall silent after 30 June 2026.

Photo shows a landline phone on a wall.
The number of landline phones in Finnish homes peaked in the early 1990s. File photo. Image: Juha Kokkala / Yle
  • Yle News

Finland's last-ever landline telephone call will be made today, Tuesday 30 June.

From Wednesday, the country's landlines will fall silent as telecom operator Elisa retires its fixed-line network for both private customers and businesses.

Elisa's competitor Telia discontinued its own landline service in 2019, while DNA stopped supporting landline networks at the start of this year.

Finland has had a landline telephone network since the 1880s, and Finns were eager early adopters.

By the 1960s, Finland rose to seventh place in Europe for landline subscriptions, and the number of landline phones in Finnish homes peaked in the early 1990s.

The numbers started to steadily decline after that however, with the advent of mobile phones, especially as Finnish firm Nokia became a world leader in the new technology.

Kolme puhelinta vierekkäin.
The Nokia 2660 Flip, the Nokia 8210 4G, and the Nokia 5710 XA on display at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Image: Joan Cros / AOP

Latest: paketissa on 10 artikkelia

The state alcohol retail monopoly is extending Saturday evening hours at about one-third of its stores, with roughly one in 10 opening on Sundays as well.

Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) says that the new version of Saab's RBS 70 system will ensure protection of broader areas of Finland.

The deal means MTV's channels should re-appear automatically on Elisa's Viihde platform and TV cable offerings on Friday, without customers having to do anything themselves.