The ancient tower in the heart of the city hung over 5,500 telephone wires

Telefontornet tower, built in the 19th century in Stockholm, used to be a center for hanging bunches of cables with a total length of up to 5,000km.

Telefontornet telephone tower, located in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden, is an iconic building more than 100 years ago. At that time, the new phone was invented and became a wonderful means of communication for people. However, engineers have not thought of placing telephone cables underground. Each string of wires was hung dense above the pedestrian's head, connecting to massive towers like Telefontornet.

Telefontornet phone tower in Stockholm, Sweden, 1890. (Photo: Amusing Planet).

Phone services at that time were very expensive and only the rich could afford. In Sweden, the first telephone service appeared in Stockholm in 1880, provided by the company Bell Telephone. At first there were only 121 customers. Package fee is very high, from 1,100 - 1,970 USD / year at current face value, depending on location and distance.

Bell Telephone with a high fee quickly met the opponent. It's Stockholm General Telephone (SAT) founded by engineer and businessman Henrik Tore Cedergren in 1883. He aims to have every household have a phone. Cedergren charges a very low connection fee and monthly fee, which leads to a rapid increase in customer numbers.

High-end cable system in Stockholm.(Photo: Amusing Planet).

By 1886, phone numbers in Stockholm were more than any major city in the world. There were 4,832 phone users, of which about 1,600 were Bell Telephone customers. In 1887, SAT became the largest phone company in the world and bought Bell Telephone in 1888. During this period, no slave stations and phones of all customers were connected to the main station by overhead cable. high.

Telefontornet telephone tower went into operation in 1887. This is the place to connect more than 5,500 telephone cables with a total length of about 5,000km. The strings of wires seem to be confused and easily damaged by external factors. Locals commented, the tower looked horrible, even complaining it covered the sunlight.

Telefontornet tower stands out when viewed from a distance.(Photo: Amusing Planet).

Cruelly criticized by the public and the media, the phone company decided to renovate the tower and organize a design competition. In 1890, the tower was built with 4 small guard posts in the corners. When a big event takes place in Stockholm, the city flag will be hung on it.

In the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the tower gradually became obsolete. Engineers realize that laying underground cables will look much neater than getting on a tower. By 1913, the entire wiring system was moved underground.

Telefontornet, though not active, still stands as a landmark for several decades. At one point, the phone company also hung billboards on the tower. In 1952, Telefontornet caught fire, weakening the structure. A year later, the tower was demolished for safety reasons.