Transpac (data network)

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Transpac, also written TRANSPAC, was a French public data network that operated from the December 1978 to June 2012.

Contents

History

It was opened in December 1978 by the semi-public Transpac society.

It offered the X.25 interface to its users, the CCITT standard of 1976 for which computer scientists of the Centre national d'études des télécommunications (CNET) had played a major role. This network has been part of the worldwide X.25 network which, before the Internet, permitted data exchanges around the planet. [1]

Initially created for professional customers, it was later used by millions of French terminals Minitels to access consumer applications, forerunners of those of the Internet. [1]

In 1987, Transpac was the world's largest public packet-switched network with revenues of nearly $400m. [2] Minitel videotex services accounted for 45% of its data and 20% of its $678m revenue in 1990. [3] By 1991, it was operating in fifteen European countries. [4]

France Télécom closed the Minitel service, and the Transpac network via which it was available, in June 2012. [5]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "X.25 Virtual Circuits - Transpac in France - Pre-Internet Data Networking". IEEE. November 2010. doi:10.1109/MCOM.2010.5621965.
  2. IDG Network World (1988-09-26). Network World. IDG Network World Inc.
  3. IDG Network World (1991-09-16). Network World. IDG Network World Inc.
  4. Chung, Seon Jong (1996). Information Highways for a Smaller World and Better Living: Proceedings of ICCC'95 (12th International Conference on Computer Communication) August 21-24, Seoul. IOS Press. ISBN   978-90-5199-240-3.
  5. "How France fell out of love with Minitel". INDEPENDENT. June 2012.