Exactly 150 years after the Pony Express was rendered obsolete by the telegram, the rise of email and social networking has killed NZ Post's international economy letter service.
From October, if you want to send a letter across the ocean, it'll have to be in a plane.
NZ Post spokesman Michael Tull told the Dominion Post three weeks was "too long" for people to wait, when emails can take less than a second, and are virtually free to send.
The cost of sending mail overseas will increase by at least 20c, depending on the size.
3 News