strianta@killer.UUCP (Spiros Trianta) (03/03/88)
HELP! I am in desperate need of information regarding the French MINITEL system, that allows people to communicate and do other things similar to the pay services here, i.e. Source, CompuServe, etc. The only thing I know is that it is very popular in France, is provided by the Government-run phone system, and that the phone company gives you the (simple) terminal you need to access the service for free. What I would like to know is: a. Cost. What does it cost to use the service thru a TTY or PC. Is it by the hour, flat fee, free, whatever! Also, what does the fee structure cover? I understand that some enhanced services are available, i.e. plane reservations and the such (for extra $$$) b. Availability. Is it available in all of France? any guestimate on number of users? how about usage time? i.e. busyes, and the such. c. Features. What does the service provide as standard and extra (i.e. charged additionally) services d. Accessibility. What kind of software does one with a PC need to access it (except of accessing it with the supplied terminal) e. Gateways to other networks f. ANY OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING MINITEL. Any opinions from people who have used it will be most welcome. Please answer directly as I do not read all the message areas. My apologies in advance if the message appears in apparently unrelated message areas. If enough information is gathered, I will summarize and post it. Thanking you in advance. Spiros Trianta (Spiros@GMR.COM) ...!ihnp4!killer!strianta -- Spiros Trianta ...!ihnp4!killer!strianta