Minitel
Minitel 1, built in 1982 | |
| Developer | Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphones |
|---|---|
| Type | Videotex |
| Launch date | 1982 |
| Discontinued | June 30, 2012 |
| Platform(s) | Minitel |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Members | 10 million monthly connections (2009) |
| Website | minitel.fr at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-07-02) |
The Minitel, officially known as TELETEL, was an interactive videotex online service accessible through telephone lines. It was the world's first and most successful mass-market online service prior to the World Wide Web. It was developed in Cesson-Sévigné, Brittany, by government-owned France Télécom.
The service was initially launched on an experimental basis on 15 July 1980 in Saint-Malo and extended to other regions in autumn 1980. It was commercially introduced throughout France in 1982 by the PTT (Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphones; since 1991, divided into France Télécom and La Poste). From its inception, users were able to make online purchases, book train tickets, access business information services, search the telephone directory, maintain a mailbox, and utilize chat functionalities similar to those now supported by the World Wide Web.
In February 2009, France Télécom reported that the Minitel network still maintained 10 million monthly connections. The service was discontinued by France Télécom on 30 June 2012.