HELSINKI: According to the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority-Ficora, the number of fixed-line telephone subscriptions at the end of last year was at around 640,000. The decrease is in the range of 15-20 per cent a year. Ten year ago, the number was more than a triple.
According to Ficora, there are no technical barriers to landline connections, and for this reason, the decline is expected to continue. Major operators, however, believe a small number of loyal landline users will be maintained. “Based on calculations, landline telephone subscriptions would become obsolete in 5-6 years, but the assumption is that a certain group of users will stick to them,” said Jan Virkki, business director at the telephone operator Elisa.
As replacement for the landlines, operators offer regular mobile subscriptions where the old landline number could be transferred. The replacements operate on mobile network.
