Although Denmark’s first telephone company was founded in 1880, it was not until 1905 that the Faroe Islands had their first telephone connection.
The First Telephone ConnectionFarmer, shipowner, merchant, and politician Olaf J. Olsen, better known by his Faroese name Ólavur á Heygum from Vestmanna, learned about the advantages of the telephone during a stay in Denmark. As early as 1901 and 1902, he wrote to the Faroese Parliament (Løgting) in Tórshavn, requesting the establishment of a telephone line between Tórshavn and his hometown Vestmanna. He highlighted that Vestmanna was a protected natural harbour, frequently visited by many ships. A telephone connection, he argued, would benefit not only the residents and trade but especially the fishing industry. The Parliament subsequently appointed a commission to consider the proposal.
After several negotiations, sometimes marked by disagreements, Ólavur was granted permission to build and operate the telephone line at his own expense. The line ran from Tórshavn via Sund, Oyrareingir, and Kvívík to his farm á Heygum in Vestmanna.
Ólavur purchased all necessary materials such as poles, wires, and cables in Norway. By 1903, the had been poles delivered to various locations and transported by horses across difficult mountainous terrain to their destinations. The work was partly carried out and supervised by Norwegian specialists. Later, it was concluded that both the materials and the construcion on the new telephone line were of excellent quality.
In 1905, the new telephone connection was officially opened. It quickly became so successful that in 1906 Ólavur applied to the Faroese Parliament for permission to establish and operate all telephone connections in the Faroe Islands. However, the application was met with scepticism and criticism, and Ólavur withdrew his request. The Parliament wished to take over telecommunications matters and to enter negotiations with Danish authorities.
These negotiations in Denmark were successful, and on 7 August 1906, 37 Danish telephone workers arrived in the Faroe Islands on the passenger and freight steamer “S/S Kong Inge” to carry out the necessary work. Since Ólavur’s telephone line was to be integrated into the expanded network, his significant expenses were later reimbursed with interest after prolonged discussions.
International Telegraph NetworkMeanwhile, the company Det Store Nordiske Telegrafselskab had received an order from the Danish state to lay a submarine telegraph cable from Scotland via the Shetland Islands to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. On 25 July 1906, the cable was landed at Sandagerð, south of Tórshavn. By 1 August, the new telegraph connection was inaugurated, with strong public participation.
In Tórshavn, a telegraph station was established in the upper, then undeveloped, part of Tórsgøta. The Faroe Islands were thus connected to the international transmission of news and important events. Urgent and important goods could now be ordered from abroad, particularly from Denmark and Great Britain, greatly benefiting Faroese trade and fishing.
Carl Hansen and the Telephone CompanyWith the establishment of the Færøernes Amtskommunes Telefonvæsen, the expansion of the telephone network naturally accelerated. Until then, all incoming telegrams reached only the capital Tórshavn; efforts were now made to forward messages quickly to the rest of the country.
Starting in July-August 1906, the Danish workers, led by telephone engineer and foreman Carl Hansen, began extending Ólavur’s telephone lines. First, a connection to the neighboring island Eysturoy reaching Toftir was established, then to Søldarfjørður, Gøta, Fuglafjørður, and Leirvík. The network was expanded to Borðoy, initially to Fagralíð, home of the Faroe Islands’ first folk high school, and later to Klaksvík, the largest town on the Northern Islands.
The same year, connections were also established from Tórshavn to Velbastaður and Kirkjubøur, and from there by submarine cable to Skopun on Sandoy. The line from Vestmanna, the original terminus, was extended to the island of Vágar. In 1907, expansion continued, and on 5 September, the telephone connection from Tórshavn to Suðuroy was officially inaugurated.
The Current Telephone SystemMuch has changed since then. Over the following years, all smaller and remote villages and islands were connected to the telephone network. The national telephone company was named Telefonverk Føroya Løgtings (Telephone Service of the Faroese Parliament), remote lighthouses received telephone connections, and the Faroese fishing fleet was equipped with radiotelephones.
With further technological development, including mobile phones and the Internet, Telefonverk Føroya Løgtings was transformed in 1998 into the joint-stock company Føroya Tele, which today, along with other providers, is the largest telecommunications company in the Faroe Islands.
Richard Kühle
