One of the most progressive cities in this regard was Stockholm, where the largest telephone tower in Europe was built, connecting 5,500 telephone lines to each other. The gigantic structure was visible from any part of the city, and clumps of blackening wires spoiled the appearance of the streets. However, engineers soon realized that the wires could be successfully laid underground - this is how telephone companies in other countries began to operate.
In Stockholm, the Old Telephone Tower stood for several more decades before completely getting rid of the wires, and then not being demolished at all in 1953 after a major fire.