Nokia was founded in Finland in 1865 and initially operated in the paper industry before expanding into the rubber industry and, a century later, into electronics. The history of the company and telecommunications begins in the 1970s and 1980s.
Back then, it wasn’t about making cell phones, but about fulfilling government and army orders. Finland, then considered a sort of “Japan of the Nordics,” was rapidly modernizing and Nokia played a key role in building the country’s first mobile phone infrastructure.
In this context, the company began marketing mobile phones from 1982, despite the skepticism of its managers towards this technology. While the first device in this category was the chunky Mobira Senator, it wasn’t until one of its successors that Nokia became known to the rest of the world.
In fact, thanks to the trade agreements concluded between Finland and the Soviet Union, the company managed to put its first “compact” mobile phone in the hands of a certain… Mikhail Gorbachev. The photo of the leader of the USSR calling for help from a Mobira Cityman left a lasting impression and symbolized the beginning of a new era for Nokia.