Finland’s last national copper-wire phone call rings out today

Finland’s final commercial call over the national copper-wire network takes place today, marking the end of 140 years of landline telephone technology, as operator Elisa shuts down its copper network. The call, placed by Elisa CEO Topi Manner from London to the Helsinki Telephone Museum, will be answered by Traficom Director General Jarkko Saarimäki. Yle will broadcast the event live starting at 11:25, followed by a rare tour of the museum.

Elisa, the last major operator maintaining a nationwide copper network, is abandoning the technology for cost savings and environmental reasons, as newer networks are more energy-efficient. While most of Finland’s copper landlines will now cease, a few thousand connections remain through local operators such as JNT, LP Vahvavirta, and VSP, though many plan to transition to fiber in the coming years.

At the end of 2025, Finland had 47,000 fixed-line subscriptions, down from 2.85 million in the late 1990s. DNA closed its last switchboard in January, and Telia ended its copper network in 2019. Alternatives like VoIP allow landline-style service over fiber.