Unlike most European countries, Belgium is still using telegrams. In 2016, Proximus, the Belgian telecommunication company, was responsible for the transmission of some 13.000 telegrams in paper version.
Who are the users of this service which was so popular in the 1960s?
Initially, the telegram was used to send urgent messages, involving high costs. Today, business clients are the main users because this technology provides a proof of sending. Telegrams between private individuals are becoming rare. Nevertheless, the fare to send a telegram remains high. Depending on the chosen formula, the first twenty words can cost between € 15 and € 22.50. If you wished to send one abroad, the fare starts from € 25. Therefore, it is not surprising to count less and less users of this communication system.
Update: After 171 years of faithful service, the telegram is no longer. As of 29 December 2017 the Belgian operator Proximus ended the telegraph service, which had witnessed a decline in the face of today's more modern and much cheaper technology. Read more
