On: Minitel, the Open Network Before the Internet

[wott]

Phone books were not eliminated. Minitel gave you access to the phone numbers in the whole country, whereas phone books were limited to your department (for foreigners: France is divided in about 100 departments).

[dorfsmay → wott]

Seems correct - weird, I was sure this was the case... They are eliminating the white pages only now:

https://www.nextinpact.com/news/98960-les-annuaires-pagesbla...

So it was only hosehold with a minitel that stopped receiving white pages:

"les foyers équipés de Minitel ne recevaient plus que les pages jaunes" (Homes with Minitel received the yellow pages only)

http://obligement.free.fr/articles/histoire_minitel.php

[bigbugbag → dorfsmay]

You ll find more about the minitel history here: http://www.inaglobal.fr/telecoms/article/du-minitel-linterne

[BrandoElFollito → wott]

Phonebooks ARE not eliminated. I got one last year (it was a pile outside and one could grab one).