Telecentres are grassroots organizations that offer access to information and telecommunications technologies (ICTs) to improve their local communities. There are telecentres in almost every country, although they may go by different names such as community multimedia centres, telecottages, infocentres, village knowledge centres, or other variations. Every telecentre is different: some use only radios and others only provide Internet access. The variety of telecentres allows for a diverse movement, connecting people globally through localized initiatives.
The majority of telecentres are grassroots initiatives designed to empower a small community through greater access to information, education, and increased political awareness. For example, telecentres in some... (more)
Telecentres are grassroots organizations that offer access to information and telecommunications technologies (ICTs) to improve their local communities. There are telecentres in almost every country, although they may go by different names such as community multimedia centres, telecottages, infocentres, village knowledge centres, or other variations. Every telecentre is different: some use only radios and others only provide Internet access. The variety of telecentres allows for a diverse movement, connecting people globally through localized initiatives.
The majority of telecentres are grassroots initiatives designed to empower a small community through greater access to information, education, and increased political awareness. For example, telecentres in some agricultural communities give farmers the ability to keep track of the prices of commodities they sell, allowing them to make the best deals possible.
Telecentres also serve as places for education and e-governance in rural areas. Many telecentres provide typing lessons or even distance education courses. Telecentres can provide access points for people to get information on or from their government, such as how to renew a driver’s license. Many telecentres become economically sustainable by charging a fee or receiving a grant from a government or foundation for these training services.
In many communities, telecentres are one of the only forms of Internet access, so their sustainability is important. A shared access point where costs are also shared helps make expensive Internet connection available to poor communities. Even then, the cost of the Internet connection is often based on the bandwidth consumption, which limits how much Internet access many telecentres can provide. Downloading MP3s and large images is typically not possible.
Recently some organizations have begun building networks of telecentres. Some networks are regional, like the South American Somos@Telecentros, and other networks are global. The most prominent global telecentre network is telecentre.org. By connecting telecentres, operators and users can share knowledge, helping more communities to become empowered. (
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