Finland - Infrastructure, power, and communications



Finland has an efficient road and rail network, despite its only becoming fully developed in the mid-20th century. As late as the 1940s, difficult terrain and harsh weather had made internal communications and transport problematic. After World War II, steady improvements in infrastructure led to the current situation. By 1998, Finland had 77,895 kilometers (48,404 miles) of highways, including 473 kilometers (294 miles) of expressways. Bridges and car ferries assisted road travel in the lake-land areas and in the island archipelagoes. The gauge of Finnish railways is the same as Russia's, which enhances Finland's position as a trade gateway to the Russian region. However, Finland's 5,685-kilometer (3,533-mile) rail network is uneven, better serving the economically dominant southeast regions. Finland's sea communication and transport is extensive, with over 50 ports and loading places and 23 seaports open year round. Finland also has 157 airports and a state airline, Finnair. International air service is provided through Helsinki airport.

Finland produced 75.30 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in 1998, of which fossil fuel comprised 41.62 percent, hydroelectric power 19.59 percent, nuclear power 27.59 percent, and other sources 11.2 percent. Total consumption was 79.28 billion kWh in the same year, or over 15,000 kWh per person, almost two-thirds higher than the average per capita consumption for the EU. This is due especially to the long Finnish winter and the high energy consumption of the paper and pulp industry. Finland relies on nuclear energy and imported hydrocarbons for almost 50 percent of its power, while imported fossil fuels make up the rest. Finland exported only 300 million kWh of electricity in 1998, while importing 9.55 billion kWh.

Finland's telecommunications system is cutting-edge and extensive, with 2.86 million main telephone lines in 1997 and 2,162,574 mobile cellular phones. The half-state-owned Sonera is the main telecommunications provider as of early 2000. Finland is famous for its quick adoption of cellular phone and wireless technology. About 60 percent of Finns had mobile phones in 1999, compared with 28 percent in the United States. Nokia, along with dominating domestic mobile phone sales, also supplies almost a quarter of the world's mobile-phone market. Internet connectivity is also very high, with more Internet service providers (ISPs) per person than any other country in the world. The telecommunications industry was fully deregulated by 1995, and subsequent laws have allowed telecom companies to share lines and have eased entry into the sector by eliminating the licensing requirement previously needed to construct a fixed telephone network. Phone tariffs are among the lowest in the EU.

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