France Telecom is shutting down Minitel – the precursor to the web – a service which provides information services to the carrier’s customers. In less than a year, the service will be shuttered despite recently having about 10 million subscribers.<\/p>\n
Like so many ideas which are good – a newer technology can come along and make even a well-liked service obsolete. Even though Minitel had a super-long run in tech years – 30 years, it reminds us that no matter how long you have been around – you can be wiped out when a newer and better technology comes along. In this case that new tech is broadband, the web and cheap computers.<\/p>\n
One wonders however if France Telecom had focused on improving Minitel and broadening its reach so other global carriers could leverage it – would today’s Internet be dominated by France-based instead of US based companies?<\/p>\n
I guess we will never know.<\/p>\n