Phones and internet in Finland

Telephones

When you first arrive in the country, a prepaid service can be the quickest and cheapest way to go since you don't need a Finnish personal identity code or a physical address to get it. Pre-paid cards have a certain sum charged into them that you use to make phone calls, and you can get them at R-kiosks, some supermarkets or online. You just install the supplied SIM card, enter the codes provided and you can start using your phone right away. When your time is running out, you'll get a notification so that you can 'top up' (online or from a vendor).

For a more permanent solution like a mobile telephone subscription, apart from a Finnish personal identity code and a physical address, you'll also need to prove your credit history. If you don't have Finnish credit history (because you just moved here) you can still get a telephone subscription, but you'll have to pay a deposit. The deposit can sometimes be a lot, but you'll get it all back when you cancel the service, or when your two-year 'trial' period is over. You can do the whole process over the phone or online, and the SIM cards will be sent over to you.

As mentioned above, landlines are not really a thing in Finland, but they are available should you require one. In all probability, you won't need them, as mobile services, including broadband, are extremely reliable and reasonably priced. Just make sure to do your research first when it comes to deals, packages and special offers, because rates can vary significantly between operators, so shop around for the best deal and look at packages and special offers. This is especially true when it comes to making international calls, where operators' rates per minute vary a lot. There's also a big price fluctuation depending on the country you're calling. Thankfully, you have the option of choosing which operator you would like to handle individual calls; check out the links at the bottom of the article for some of the most popular ones in Finland.

Internet

Probably one of the best investments you can make in Finland is getting an internet connection. So many things are done online, from paying bills and sorting out paperwork with the authorities to shopping, finding work and networking, that it really is in your best interest to get connected as soon as possible. As with the mobile subscription, it's very easy to set everything up but you need to do your research beforehand to make sure you get the best prices. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to fixed broadband, you can pay about 20 euros per month for a 20 Mb/s ADSL connection, 25 euros for a 50 Mb/s connection, 30 euros for a 100 Mb/s connection and 40 euros for a 1000 Mb/s one. For mobile broadband, you can get a 21 Mb/s 4G connection for 15 euros monthly, a 50 Mb/s 4G for about 20 euros, a 100 Mb/s 4G one for up to 30o euros and a 300 Mb/s 4G for as much as 50 euros per month.

Post

In a country where everything is so digital and high-tech, the post couldn't be an exception. In fact, Finland's official postal service, Posti, has created a free service called Netposti, which allows people to receive their letters in electronic form instead of actual paper ones -- and they look exactly the same as they would on paper. You get an email notification when you have new netposti 'letters', and you can organize them in folders and save them for up to seven years. Of course, if you need to send an actual letter or parcel you still can, but you can arrange the whole thing online instead of going to a physical post office.

Useful links:

Internet and telephone subscriptions
Globetel
Nettia
Elisa
Posti