With prestel, BTX and MUPID there were quite a few prior technologies but to my knowledge, this only really took off like that in France due to substantial publ

With prestel, BTX and MUPID there were quite a few prior technologies but to my knowledge, this only really took off like that in France due to substantial public funding. Prestel in UK died and BTX in Germany/Austria was but a novelty AFAIR. I have never seen BTX being widely used here but when I was on vacation in France, sure enough even the rest stops on the highway had a few minitel terminals you could pay for. And that was around 94 or 95 when the internet has already been heard of around here in Europe and the first ISPs started popping up.