Editing Orange Group (section)

=== Nationalised service (1878–1980s) ===
In 1792, under the [[French Revolution]], the first communication network was developed to enable the rapid transmission of information in a warring and unsafe country. That was the optical [[telegraphy]] network of [[Claude Chappe]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dilhac |first=J-M. |title=The Telegraph of Claude Chappe -an Optical Telecommunication Network for the Xviiith Century |url=https://mathcs.holycross.edu/~csci356/Dilhac.pdf |website=Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics - College of the Holy Cross |access-date=27 September 2022 |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325202911/https://mathcs.holycross.edu/~csci356/Dilhac.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1878, after the invention of the electrical telegraph and then the invention of the [[telephone]], the French State created a [[Postes, télégraphes et téléphones (France)|Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs]]. Telephone services were nationalised and added to the ministry in 1889. However, it was not until 1923 that the second 'T' (for 'telephones') appeared and the department of P&T (Posts and Telegraphs) became PTT.

In 1941, a General Direction of Telecommunications was created within this ministry. Then, in 1944, the National Centre of Telecommunications Studies (CNET) was created to develop the telecommunications industry in France.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In the 1970s, France attempted to make up for its delay in developing communications infrastructure, compared to other countries, by launching the programme "Delta LP" (increasing the main lines).{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} It was at that time that the majority of the local loop was built (that is all the cables linking the users to the operator). Moreover, with the help of French manufacturers, digital switching -- [[Minitel]] and the [[GSM]] standard—were invented by engineers and CNET researchers.

In 1982, Telecom introduced [[Minitel]] [[Online shopping|online ordering]] for its customers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jun/28/minitel-france-says-farewell|title=France says farewell to the Minitel – the little box that connected a country|last=Chrisafis|first=Angelique|date=28 June 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=11 January 2018|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>