The word "telephone" originates from Greek: tēle means "far," and phōnē means "voice"—so, metaphorically, it's a "device that transmits voice over a distance."
The first telephone connection in the Czech lands was established in 1881 between Prague and Vienna. In 1882, the first telephone exchange with 108 participants was launched in Prague. The network expanded rapidly, and in 1923, Prague introduced an automatic telephone exchange.
After 1945, telecommunications were nationalized under the management of the state enterprise Tesla.
The 1990s marked the beginning of the mobile phone era, with the first NMT network launched in 1991. This was followed by the digital GSM network, leading to the gradual decline of landlines. Today, mobile and internet communication undeniably dominate.