Finland’s landline telephone era ends with ceremonial final call, nationwide network shutdown, and global shift toward digital infrastructure

Finland’s landline telephone network, which has operated since the 1880s, has officially come to an end as Elisa discontinues its remaining connections today, following what is believed to be the last-ever commercial nationwide landline call made on Tuesday 30 June Helsingin Sanomat reports. The final call was broadcast live at 11:25 AM from Elisa’s Telephone Museum in Helsinki, featuring Elisa’s CEO Topi Manner calling from London and Traficom’s Director General Jarkko Saarimäki answering in Helsinki Yle reports. During the call, Manner and Saarimäki shared personal memories, with Manner recalling his teenage years in 1980s London, when he would call home once a week at a prearranged time to ensure his family was together. Saarimäki added that as children, they had to keep conversations short because the phone was often located in a central part of the house Helsingin Sanomat reports. They also discussed the future of mobile technologies before ending the conversation with a casual "kuulemiin" ("speak later" in Finnish) Euronews reports. The event was covered by journalist Ulla Malminen and cameraman Jorma Vihtonen, with a subsequent tour of the rarely accessible museum. Elisa’s Technology Director Kalle Lehtinen described the moment as "a difficult moment, but also the beginning of a new era" during the ceremony MTV Uutiset reports.