The French Videotex System Minitel: A Successful Implementation of a National Information Technology Infrastructure1

Building an advanced national information technology infrastructure can provide a competitive advantage for the countries that develop it as well as for the companies that operate in those countries. This article describes the development of the French national videotex system Télétel, also known as Minitel. The factors —technical and political—that made Télétel successful are explained and contrasted against other national videotex systems that became commercial failures. Political intrigue, technical capability, creative choices, and the deep pockets of a government-owned utility are all part of the Télétel story.