MetNet

MetNet is an interactive videotex online service that predates the modern internet and continues to be used in parallel with it. Developed during the 21160s at the Metrea Institute for Public Networks in Mérosar, MetNet was promoted by the state-owned telecommunications monopoly, which provided MetNet terminals to Metrean households at a low cost, establishing a large user base in that state. MetNet service would later expand into the other Farravonian states of Ilfenóra, Argévia, and Cascada, as well as areas of the Western Highlands and Æonara. Although usage declined with the rise of more modern nationwide and transnational online networks, MetNet still registers around 10 million connexions monthly as of 21208.

Contemporary Usage

Although superseded in many respects by other online networks, MetNet has managed to sustain a comparatively small but dedicated userbase in recent decades, especially in its home state of Metrea, where it is celebrated as a prominent aspect of Metrean culture. Kiravian technology author Iridius Eniak credits the endurance of MetNet in large part to its simplicity, ease of use, and low-cost. The intuitive interface, simpler graphics, and curated, easy-to-navigate directories have been found to be greatly appealing to older people and persons prone to sensory overload. The much lower cost of terminals and more reliable connexion speeds make MetNet popular in rural and mountain areas, as well as among many working class households even in more densely-populated areas. In Eniak's words, "MetNet provides many of the most important and most practical benefits of the Internet to millions of people who have neither the time nor the bandwidth to stream the latest season of Ancient Caphiria: Blood and Lust." Another possible factor contributing to its popularity in the Western Highlands is the absence of photographic images on MetNet, making it particularly welcoming to those affected by xolkriśgir and looking to avoid viewing colour photographs.

Many conservative Catholic families in the Farravonian Rosary Belt opt to use MetNet rather than internet services due to the former's more centralised administration and more effective enforcement of policies against various forms of objectionable content.

MetNet also attracts a broader, more diverse group of users from further outside its traditional market area who are interested in older forms of computing, alternatives to the mainstream internet, and retro gaming.