The tune first appeared on the Nokia 2110 as "Ringtone Type 7" (or Type 5, depending on the region). These were simple, high-pitched beeps that defined the early days of mobile communication.
Nokia executives chose the piece because it was old enough to be in the public domain, avoiding expensive royalty fees, yet catchy enough to be memorable. It first appeared in a commercial for the in 1992 and debuted as a ringtone option on the Nokia 2110 in 1994. The Evolution of a Sound old nokia ringtone
Before smartphones, your ringtone was your calling card. You could buy polyphonic versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or "Für Elise," but defaulting to the said something about you. It said you were practical. It said you didn't have time to mess with ringtone downloads via WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) that cost $1.99 a pop. The tune first appeared on the Nokia 2110