It used to cost money to call someone, and if that someone was in another country – you would pay a premium: in the mid-90s a prime time call to Paris from New York cost around $113 an hour (in 2025 dollars)

Then came the internet, paving the way for cheap and free calls to and from anywhere in the world… Guess what? Traditional long-distance telephone companies felt threatened… More here.

This article brings back memories. My girlfriend, now wife, used to be an air stewardess and the only way we could keep in touch was by landline. Even back in 1994 I would regularly have a phone bill of £200 to £300 and it hurt, but it made sense to us because she was also living away while flying. Thirty years later we are still together so it was worth the outlay.

When Skype and other advances hit the financial relief was huge and that alone is why the landline had to die.

Categories: Articles, Retro