{"id":16229,"date":"2025-12-30T15:37:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T15:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ugandaupdatenews.com\/?p=16229"},"modified":"2025-12-30T15:37:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T15:37:22","slug":"digital-age-brings-denmarks-postal-service-to-a-historic-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/digital-age-brings-denmarks-postal-service-to-a-historic-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital age brings Denmark\u2019s postal service to a historic end"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beside the railroad tracks of Copenhagen\u2019s<\/a> train station, right in the heart of the Danish<\/a> capital, stands a red-brick building with an ornate fa\u00e7ade and a copper-clad cupola still turning green over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it opened in 1912 as the Central Post Building, its grandeur echoed the booming postal and telegraph services that crisscrossed Denmark<\/a>, connecting Danes to one another. A little over a century later and that building, now a luxury hotel, presides over a city, and a country, where the postal service no longer delivers letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denmark\u2019s state-run postal service, PostNord, will deliver its last ever letter on Tuesday, as the digital age brings its 400-year-run to an end. This makes Denmark the first country in the world to decide that physical mail is no longer either essential or economically viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The precipitous decline of a national postal service is a familiar story, one echoed elsewhere in the Western world as we rely ever more heavily on digital means of communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denmark\u2019s postal service delivered more than 90% fewer letters in 2024 than in 2000. The US Postal Service delivered 50% less mail in 2024 than in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as our correspondence has moved largely online \u2013 transfiguring into WhatsApp messages, video calls, or just an exchange of memes \u2013 our communication and language have changed accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letters themselves \u201cwill change status\u201d too, often coming to represent more intimate messages than their digital counterparts, said Dirk van Miert, a professor at the Huygens Institute in the Netherlands who specializes in early modern knowledge networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The knowledge networks that letters facilitated for centuries are \u201conly expanding\u201d in their online form, expediting both access to that knowledge as well as the rise of disinformation, he told CNN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No more mailboxes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PostNord has been removing the 1,500 mailboxes scattered across Denmark since June. When it sold them off to raise money for charity on December 10, hundreds of thousands of Danes tried to buy one. For each mailbox, they paid either 2,000 ($315) or 1,500 ($236) Danish krone, depending on how worn they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of posting letters, Danes will now have to drop them off at kiosks in shops, from where they will be couriered by private company DAO to both domestic and international addresses. PostNord will continue delivering parcels, however, as online shopping remains ever popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denmark is one of the world\u2019s most digital nations; even its public sector utilizes several online portals, minimizing any physical government correspondence and making it much less reliant on postal services than many other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlmost every Dane is fully digital, meaning physical letters no longer serve the same purpose as previously,\u201d Andreas Brethvad, a spokesperson for PostNord, told media. \u201cMost communication now arrives in our electronic mailboxes, and the reality today is that e-commerce and the parcel market far outweigh traditional mail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That may explain why it is the first country to make these changes, though it seems likely others will eventually follow. Van Miert, who lives in the Netherlands, said he had to go to a shop to post letters because there are no longer any mailboxes in his town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the need for physical correspondence continues around the world, even if it is diminished. Almost 2.6 billion people remain offline, according to the UN-affiliated Universal Postal Union, and many more \u201clack meaningful connectivity,\u201d thanks to inadequate devices, poor coverage and limited digital skills. Rural communities, women and those living in poverty are among the worst affected, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even in countries like Denmark, some groups who are more reliant on postal services, like older people, may be adversely affected by the changes, advocacy groups say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very easy for us to access our mail on the phone or a website\u2026 but we forgot to give the same possibilities to those who are not digital,\u201d said Marlene Rishoej Cordes, a spokesperson for the DaneAge Association, which advocates for older people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She told CNN that DAO, the new postal courier, has a service where it will collect mail at a home address but \u201cit still demands you are digital because you have to pay for this service and you can only pay digitally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Whatever channel we have\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The letter has undergone transformations before, in both medium and style. \u201cIt changed formats from papyrus or wax tablets\u2026 then paper later on, vellum in the Middle Ages, and now we have electronic devices,\u201d said Van Miert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 17th century, following the traditions laid down by great philosopher-letter-writers, like Cicero and Erasmus, students were taught \u201chow to write a proper letter, a letter of consolation, praise or congratulations,\u201d he added. \u201cFor a diplomatic letter, a wholly different style was required than for a personal, or what they called a familiar, letter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letters have come to represent an \u201celement of nostalgia\u201d and a permanence that technology cannot match, Nicole Ellison, a professor at the University of Michigan specializing in computer-mediated communication, told media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, like the students who altered their letter-writing styles according to different contexts, digital communication has evolved to compensate for some of the personal touches and emotional cues a handwritten letter can convey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have figured out ways to infuse those signals into the stark medium,\u201d Ellison said, referencing the emojis, GIFs and different colors that pepper texts and emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while different media can convey different messages, she cautioned against ascribing \u201cagency on the part of the technology itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re humans,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd at the end of the day, we will do our best to use whatever channel we have to communicate the rich universe of emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, the demise of the letter is already sparking nostalgia in Denmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook closely at the picture here,\u201d one Danish user on X said<\/a>, alongside a photo of a mailbox. \u201cNow in 5 years I will be able to explain to a 5-year-old what a mailbox was in the old days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor:msserwanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beside the railroad tracks of Copenhagen\u2019s train station, right in the heart of the Danish capital, stands a red-brick building with an ornate fa\u00e7ade<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3d18h7x.webp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2785,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/government-introduces-new-electronic-postal-address-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":0},"title":"GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES NEW ELECTRONIC POSTAL ADDRESS SYSTEM","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Government has introduced a new Postal Address System to ease service delivery,\u00a0 spur business and e-commerce for Ugandans. The new system developed by young ICT Ugandans who were given financial help by government to develop practical IT solutions for the country. While launching the new postal address system in Kampala\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/jd.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/jd.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/jd.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/jd.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16968,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/ssengooba-re-elected-as-papu-conference-closes-on-high-note-for-uganda\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":1},"title":"Ssengooba Re-elected as PAPU Conference Closes on High Note for Uganda","author":"MOSES SSERWANGA","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda\u2019s Jessica Hope Ssengooba was on Friday night re-elected Assistant Secretary General of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), capping a hard-fought contest and bringing a triumphant close to the 11th Ordinary Session of the Plenipotentiary Conference held in Kampala. The two-week conference, which brought together policymakers, regulators, and industry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sengo.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sengo.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sengo.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sengo.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sengo.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14698,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/fred-smith-fedex-founder-found-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":2},"title":"Fred Smith, FedEx Founder Found Dead","author":"MOSES SSERWANGA","date":"June 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"FRED Smith, the billionaire founder of revolutionary delivery firm FedEx, has died at the age of 80. FedEx started up in in 1973 delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service. Smith oversaw its growth to a behemoth of the industry, relied upon by other companies all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250622120032_913418475_591747050185112032_640_320_85_webp-1.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250622120032_913418475_591747050185112032_640_320_85_webp-1.webp 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250622120032_913418475_591747050185112032_640_320_85_webp-1.webp 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15038,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/trump-slaps-uganda-with-15-tariff-on-its-goods-and-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":3},"title":"Trump Slaps Uganda With 15% Tariff On Its Goods And Services","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"August 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda has been slapped with a 15% tariff on its products exported to the USA as the White House unveiled a\u00a0new trade policy\u00a0starting August 7 that affects\u00a0virtually every nation, cementing a break from decades of free trade and signaling a new protectionist era. A tariff a tax or duty to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/31trump-news-live-header-tariffs-zbfg-jumbo.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/31trump-news-live-header-tariffs-zbfg-jumbo.webp 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/31trump-news-live-header-tariffs-zbfg-jumbo.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/31trump-news-live-header-tariffs-zbfg-jumbo.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13770,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/court-allows-denmark-to-appear-as-complainant-in-a-suit-against-sarah-bireetes-centre-for-constitutional-governance-over-mismanagement-of-donor-funds\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":4},"title":"Court Allows Denmark To Appear As Complainant In A Suit Against Sarah Bireete\u2019s Centre for Constitutional Governance Over Mismanagement Of Donor Funds","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda High Court has in a ruling allowed the Kingdom of Denmark to be substituted in the place of the Democratic Governance Facility as the plaintiff in a civil suit seeking to recover alleged mismanaged funds. Justice Anna B. Mugenyi, in her rulling granted an application for Denmark to proceed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/th.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11675,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/iata-stresses-sustainability-digitalization-and-safety-in-air-cargo\/","url_meta":{"origin":16229,"position":5},"title":"IATA Stresses Sustainability, Digitalization and Safety in Air Cargo","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"March 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Reporters The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reviewed progress in digitalization, safety and sustainability at the opening of the\u00a0IATA World Cargo Symposium\u00a0with the aim of accelerating progress on these critical priorities.\u00a0 \u201cAir cargo volumes are now firmly back to pre-pandemic levels. The challenge now is to ensure that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/hong.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-4dL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16229"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16231,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16229\/revisions\/16231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}