THE HISTORY OF THE PHONECARD IN SWEDEN

From Telia’s perspective

Since the introduction of payphones, the cost of handling coins, vandalism and “free calling” have risen. This development made Telia and other operators of payphones look for an alternative for the coin phones. The modern technique offered different varieties of card phones

Tests

After testing different card phones, Telia chose a system in 1989. The selection of a national system was preceded by three different tests:

1. The first system tried by Telia was card phones with optical cards made out of plastic. The system was bought from Sodeco (Landis & Gyr), Switzerland. This system was tried around Uppsala starting in 1981 and was used until 1991, when the phones were exchanged for the system that was later chosen for the whole country. The test covered 60-70 payphones that were tried in the streets and on the squares, as well as in the Samariterhome in the centre of Uppsala, and at F18 (a military base) just outside of the city.

Left: Public cards from Sodeco which were used in the Uppsala-test, 90 000 ex. of each value.
Right: Telia cards from Sodeco. There are about 4000 ex. of the service card, and about 20 of the test card. 

2. The second system was card phones with magnetic cards made out of plastic and was bought from Plessey, later GPT, England. About 15 payphones were placed at Berga Naval School outside of Stockholm, at the Söder Hospital and Karlsberg’s Military school in the centre of Stockholm. The test started in 1987.

Public card sold in Stockholm. 7000 ex. (above left), 2000 (below left, 2500 (both right)

3. The third system was payphones with magnetic cards made out of paper from NTT/Marubeni, Japan. About seven phones were tried at the regional hospitals in Linköping. The test began in 1989.

The cards above where produced in 1200 ex. each.

The Swedish system

Finally a system from the French company, Schlumberger Industries was selected. After testing, the system had its official start in October 1990. The cards in the system are called IC-cards (integrated circuit card), but can also be called chip cards or smart cards. Compared with the magnetic cards, the IC-cards are more expensive to produce, but they are much more secure and reliable.
IC-cards also open the possibility of developing new applications as the customers’ needs change. Another advantage of the IC-cards is that Telia can buy phones and cards from different producers. Earlier systems were built on the fact that every producer made his own closed system, with cards as well as phones. Early deliverers were McCorquodale in Great Britain and Soliac in France.

Values