Initel
Initel, commonly known as Minitel, was a nationwide videotex online service operated by France Télécom (formerly PTT) in France. Launched in 1982, it provided interactive information and commercial services via dial-up terminals connected to the public telephone network. Terminals were distributed to households, businesses, and public locations, and presented information on a text-based 40-column display. Services were accessed by typing search terms or numeric codes, and pages were delivered as easy-to-navigate screens built from a centralized database.
Minitel offered directory assistance (Pages Jaunes, Pages Blanches), classifieds, travel and leisure reservations, banking and e-commerce,
Technology and model: A closed videotex network; content was stored on central servers; data transmission occurred
Decline and legacy: With the rise of the Internet and mobile networks in the late 1990s and