Minitel
1982-2000
Minitel can best be described as a French version of the internet before the internet existed. It was originally a means for the French telecom industry to reduce the costs of printed phone directories. Minitel was a great success both technologically and commercially. In 1999, half of France used the service for booking travel, banking, ecommerce and email. And, of course, for erotic services. But the success of Minitel delayed France’s transition to the internet. In 2000, almost half of the Swedish population used the internet, while in France the figure was only 14 percent. The internet was dismissed as an American invention. Minitel was isolated and regulated while the internet was open and free. While the rest of the world invested heavily in the internet, France resisted and stuck with its obsolete technology.
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