All observers of French telemedicine today agree that its developments are largely inadequate in relation to the objectives set and the resources deployed. This article looks specifically at the occurrence of a telemedicine failure, while also examining the category of “failure” and showing its nuances. The article is based on the case of an emergency telemedicine experiment carried out between retirement homes and an emergency service “centre 15” (hotline centre) between 2012 and 2014. After highlighting the difficulties encountered, it examines attempts to overcome them and the initiatives that were taken. The author names these the “collateral potentialities” of an initial innovation process, and situates them in the sociological literature on innovation.