A system is disclosed for delivering information, preferably electronic television
program guide information, to a user over a telecommunications network. The network
includes the capability of determining whether the user's connection to the network
is in an on-hook or off-hook condition, and the information is received and stored
at a user site when the user's connection to the network is in an on-hook condition.
Information is delivered from a guide provider to a phone company switch point
over a land-based or wireless dedicated line. When the user's phone is on-hook,
the guide data is sent to the user site through a splitter. The line splitter provides
the signal to a data decoder circuit, the output of which is connected to a data
input terminal in communication with a television receiver, VCR, cable box, or
other piece of equipment for displaying the program guide data on a screen. The
invention is capable of delivering complete program guide data to a user in spite
of data interruptions due to telephone calls. The program schedule data is preferably
transmitted as n serial packets of information, and the sequence of packets is
repeated several times each day.