The Minitel was a videotex online service accessible through telephone lines, and was the world's most successful online service prior to the World Wide Web. It was invented in Cesson-Sévigné, near Rennes in Brittany, France.
The service was rolled out experimentally on 15 July 1980 in Saint-Malo, France, and introduced commercially throughout France in 1982 by the PTT. From its early days, users could make online purchases, reserve trains, check stock prices, and even chat—features similar to those available on today’s World Wide Web.
In February 2009, France Télécom indicated the Minitel network still had 10 million monthly connections. However, it was officially retired on 30 June 2012.
