Telecentre
Encyclopedia
A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. While each telecentre is different, their common focus is on the use of digital technologies to support community, economic, educational, and social development—reducing isolation, bridging the digital divide, promoting health issues, creating economic opportunities, and reaching out to youth for example.
Telecentres exist in almost every country, although they sometimes go by a different name: public internet access center (PIAP), village knowledge center, infocenter, community technology center (CTC), community multimedia center (CMC), multipurpose community telecentre (MCT), Common/Citizen Service Centre (CSC), school-based telecentre, etc.
and Electronic Village Halls (originally in Denmark) and Community Technology Centers
(CTCs) in the United States, both of which emerged in the 1980s as a result of advances in computing. At a time when computers were available but not yet a common household good, public access to computers emerged as a solution. Today, in spite of the fact that home ownership of computers is widespread in the United States and other industrialized countries, there remains a need for public (free) access to computing, whether it is in CTCs, telecottages or public libraries to ensure that everyone has access to technologies that have become essential.
and ICT as a luxury good
is roughly around the “magical number” of US$10 per person per month, or US$120 per year.
, sponsored the deployment of many telecentres in developing countries. Both IDRC and UNESCO are still very involved in the telecentre movement. The former telecentre.org programme at IDRC was transferred to the telecentre.org Foundation in the Philippines in March 2010 and continues to support networks of telecentres around the world. UNESCO continues to support the growth of community multimedia centers (CMCs), which, unlike most other telecentres, have a local community radio, television or other media component.
Among the various sustainability considerations:
Evolving models — since the local demand for information and communication services is evolving, the telecentre models need to evolve as well. Franchises and other approaches to linking and networking telecentres are proving to be popular.
Evolving technologies — wireless connectivity technologies, beyond VSAT (known to be expensive) are being explored in many communities around the world. These technologies provide new opportunities for connecting communities through telecentres and eventually at the individual household level.
Evolving services — the types of services that telecentres can and should provide is also rapidly evolving. As the fields of eGovernment
, eHealth
, e-Learning
, eCommerce are evolving and maturing in many countries, telecentres need to take advantage of opportunities to extend the benefits to the community at large, through their public access. Some governments are pursuing the deployment of telecentres precisely as a means of ensuring that larger segments of the population are able to access government services and information through electronic channels.
Community stakeholders - identifying leaders among the community who champion the concept of shared services through telecentre mode, play a crucial role as a bridge between the telecentre operator and hesitant villagers. Indeed, There is a maturing period during which community leaders have to invest constant efforts to drive changes of behaviour in the adoption of innovations.
Community involvement is required however, at the initial phase of the telecentre set up, starting with the site selection and creating a sort of empathy and feeling of empowerment. Furthermore, the telecentre should be well rooted in the socio-cultural context of the community.
One such regional network targeted towards Asia-Pacific
is, the Asia-Pacific Telecentre Network
.
Additional information about concept of community telecentres can also be found in the online book From the Ground Up: the evolution of the telecentre movement.
Additional information about the practice of building and sustaining telecentres can be found on the Telecentre Knowledge Network Wiki.
There is a growing research and analytical literature on telecentres and other community based technology initiatives and approaches particularly within the context of Community informatics
as an academic discipline and through the Journal of Community Informatics.
Telecentres exist in almost every country, although they sometimes go by a different name: public internet access center (PIAP), village knowledge center, infocenter, community technology center (CTC), community multimedia center (CMC), multipurpose community telecentre (MCT), Common/Citizen Service Centre (CSC), school-based telecentre, etc.
Evolution of the telecentre movement
The telecentre movement’s origins can be traced to Europe's telecottageTelecottage
Telecottage is usually a community based facility that is there to assist learning, access to technology, access to work etc. for its local community. The Telecottages movement started in Sweden and the idea has been taken up quite widely, notably in the United Kingdom where at the last count ...
and Electronic Village Halls (originally in Denmark) and Community Technology Centers
Community technology center
A community technology center or CTC offers resources to help bridge the digital divide, primarily through the public accessing computers and the internet. These centers are a key part of what is now being referred to as digital inclusion programs. Many centers provide training that ranges from...
(CTCs) in the United States, both of which emerged in the 1980s as a result of advances in computing. At a time when computers were available but not yet a common household good, public access to computers emerged as a solution. Today, in spite of the fact that home ownership of computers is widespread in the United States and other industrialized countries, there remains a need for public (free) access to computing, whether it is in CTCs, telecottages or public libraries to ensure that everyone has access to technologies that have become essential.
Types
Beyond the differences in names, public ICT access centers are diverse, varying in the clientele they serve, the services they provide, as well as their business or organizational model. Around the world, some telecentres include NGO-sponsored, local government, commercial, school-based, and university-related In the United States and other countries, public access to the Internet in libraries may also be considered within the “telecentre concept”, especially when the range of services offered is not limited to pure access but also includes training end-users. Each type has advantages and disadvantages when considering attempts to link communities with ICTs and to bridge the digital divide. Among the various types:- NGO-sponsored telecentres are hosted by an NGO, which manages the center and integrates it, to one degree or another, into the organization's core business
- Local government telecentres seek to further local development; they often aim to disseminate information, decentralize services, and encourage civic participation, in addition to providing public ICT access.
- Commercial telecentres, launched by entrepreneurs for profit, range from the purely commercial cybercafé to the social enterprise, where profit and social good objectives are combined.
- School-based telecentres can be structured to involve community members during off-school hours, but costs need to be shared by the school system and the community.
- University-related telecentres can offer social outreach to disadvantaged and community groups, provide training, develop locally relevant content, and establish and facilitate virtual networks.
- Internet access in public libraries.
Need for Telecentres
It is estimated that 40 % of the world's population has less than US$ 20 per year available to spend on ICT. In Brazil, the poorest 20% of the population counts with merely US$9 per year to spend on ICT (US$ 0.75 per month). In Mexico, the poorest 20% of the society counts with an estimated US$ 35 per year (US$ 3 per month). For Latin America it is estimated that the borderline between ICT as a necessity goodNecessity good
In economics a necessity good is a type of normal good. Like any other normal good, when income rises, demand increases. But the increase for a necessity good is less than proportional to the rise in income, so the proportion of expenditure on these goods falls as income rises. This observation...
and ICT as a luxury good
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
is roughly around the “magical number” of US$10 per person per month, or US$120 per year.
Telecentres and international development institutions
In the 1990s, international development institutions such as Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, sponsored the deployment of many telecentres in developing countries. Both IDRC and UNESCO are still very involved in the telecentre movement. The former telecentre.org programme at IDRC was transferred to the telecentre.org Foundation in the Philippines in March 2010 and continues to support networks of telecentres around the world. UNESCO continues to support the growth of community multimedia centers (CMCs), which, unlike most other telecentres, have a local community radio, television or other media component.
Sustainability considerations
In light of the rapidly evolving technologies that support telecentres and in light of the increased penetration of mobile technologies (i.e., cell phones), the telecentre model needs to continuously evolve in order to remain relevant and to continue to address the changing needs of the communities they serve. As mobile communication technologies become more pervasive around the world, including in rural areas, the telecentres may no longer need to provide phone services, yet they may still be very relevant in terms of access to web-enabled e-government services, e-Learning, and basic Internet communication needs (email and web browsing).Among the various sustainability considerations:
Evolving models — since the local demand for information and communication services is evolving, the telecentre models need to evolve as well. Franchises and other approaches to linking and networking telecentres are proving to be popular.
Evolving technologies — wireless connectivity technologies, beyond VSAT (known to be expensive) are being explored in many communities around the world. These technologies provide new opportunities for connecting communities through telecentres and eventually at the individual household level.
Evolving services — the types of services that telecentres can and should provide is also rapidly evolving. As the fields of eGovernment
EGovernment
E-Government is digital interactions between a government and citizens , government and businesses/Commerce , government and employees , and also between government and governments /agencies...
, eHealth
EHealth
eHealth is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999...
, e-Learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
, eCommerce are evolving and maturing in many countries, telecentres need to take advantage of opportunities to extend the benefits to the community at large, through their public access. Some governments are pursuing the deployment of telecentres precisely as a means of ensuring that larger segments of the population are able to access government services and information through electronic channels.
Community stakeholders - identifying leaders among the community who champion the concept of shared services through telecentre mode, play a crucial role as a bridge between the telecentre operator and hesitant villagers. Indeed, There is a maturing period during which community leaders have to invest constant efforts to drive changes of behaviour in the adoption of innovations.
Community involvement is required however, at the initial phase of the telecentre set up, starting with the site selection and creating a sort of empathy and feeling of empowerment. Furthermore, the telecentre should be well rooted in the socio-cultural context of the community.
Networks
The telecentres of today and of the future are networked telecentres, or telecentres of the 2.0 generation. Increasingly, telecentres are not operating as independent, isolated entities but as members of a network. At times, the network takes the form of a franchise. In other circumstances, the network is much more informal.One such regional network targeted towards Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
is, the Asia-Pacific Telecentre Network
Asia-Pacific Telecentre Network
The Asia-Pacific Telecentre Network is a collaborative initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and and the APTN Secretariat is presently hosted at ICT Agency of Sri Lanka...
.
Further information
For more information on telecentre networks, visit telecentre.org. An overview of telecentre networks can also be found in Chapter 7 of Making the Connection: Scaling Telecentres for Development.Additional information about concept of community telecentres can also be found in the online book From the Ground Up: the evolution of the telecentre movement.
Additional information about the practice of building and sustaining telecentres can be found on the Telecentre Knowledge Network Wiki.
There is a growing research and analytical literature on telecentres and other community based technology initiatives and approaches particularly within the context of Community informatics
Community informatics
Community informatics , also known as community networking, electronic community networking, community-based technologies or community technology refers to an emerging field of investigation and practice concerned with principles and norms related to information and communication technology with...
as an academic discipline and through the Journal of Community Informatics.
See also
- Community informaticsCommunity informaticsCommunity informatics , also known as community networking, electronic community networking, community-based technologies or community technology refers to an emerging field of investigation and practice concerned with principles and norms related to information and communication technology with...
- Computer technology for developing areasComputer technology for developing areasComputer technology for developing areas is the donation of technology to developing areas by individuals and organizations . However, donating technology without first coordinating its use, maintenance and final disposal can lead to misuse and potential problems.-Opportunity:Developing countries...
- Nomad worker
- Small office/home officeSmall office/home officeSmall office/home office, or SOHO, refers to the category of business or cottage industry which involves from 1 to 10 workers. SOHO can also stand for single office/home office....
- TelecottageTelecottageTelecottage is usually a community based facility that is there to assist learning, access to technology, access to work etc. for its local community. The Telecottages movement started in Sweden and the idea has been taken up quite widely, notably in the United Kingdom where at the last count ...
- Serviced office
- Public computerPublic computerA public computer is any of various computers available in public areas. Some places where public computers may be available are libraries, schools, or facilities run by government....
External links
- Telecentre.org is a community working to create resources for telecentres around the world.
- Telecentre-Europe is a network to share knowledge and form partnerships committed to increasing the impact of community based telecentres in Europe and beyond.
- Asia-Pacific Telecentre Network is an initiative to promote innovation and knowledge-sharing among telecentres in Asia-Pacific region.
- Mission 2011 is a telecentre programme led by Bangladesh Telecentre Network. It aims to set up 40,000 telecentre across Bangladesh, which is about building a sustainable information and knowledge system for the poor and the marginalized by 2011, the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh.
- Mission 2007 is a telecentre program led by Professor M. S. SwaminathanM. S. SwaminathanMaankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is an Indian agriculture scientist in Kuttanad, kerala. He was the second of four sons of a doctor.He is known as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India", for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in...
. It aims to set up 100,000 telecentres across India. - Making the Connection: Scaling Telecentres for Development is a book published in 2007. It identifies and discusses the most pressing issues facing the global telecentre movement.
- The Journal of Community Informatics: Special Issue on Telecentres
- Quick Guide to Resources and Work on Telecentres in international Institutions and Donor Agencies (infoDev).
- UNESCO's Community Multimedia Centers
- From the Ground Up, telecentre.org/IDRC.
- The Community Telecentre Cookbook, by Mike Jensen and Anriette Esterhuysen, for UNESCO, 2001.
- e-Sri Lanka Telecentre Development Program: Strategic Choices and Challenges of a High Risk High Impact Investment, by Francisco J. Proenza, 2004.
- Telecenter Sustainability: Myths and Opportunities, by Francisco J. Proenza, 2001.
- Telecenters for Socioeconomic and Rural Development, by Francisco J. Proenza (FAO), Roberto Bastidas-Buch (ITU) and Guillermo Montero (IADB), 2001.
- NGO Connection Information and resources for non-governmental organizations interested in using information technology for greater impact.
- Fusion - Sarvodaya ICT4D Movement Fusion of telecentres with community development engagements of Sarvodaya
- Telecentres-Africa is a joint platform for sharing experiences and resources on telecentres movement in Africa initiated by CTATechnical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the ACP countries and EU member states...
and Infobridge foundation in collaboration with the IICDInternational Institute for Communication and DevelopmentThe International Institute for Communication and Development is a non-profit foundation established by the Ministry for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands in 1996...
and Telecentre.org