World Dialogue on Regulation

Telecentres are a way of providing access to information resources to people on a limited budget. The idea of telecentres is a powerful and useful concept, but experiences show that the implementation, utilization and maintenance of telecentres in Africa, more than in other places of the world, is often cumbersome. Once implemented, evaluations often show that the use of the telecentre by the local population is unexpectedly low, maintenance of equipment and materials is difficult as people with the necessary skills and qualifications are hard to find.

In 2005, as part of her PhD in Rural Studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Sarah Parkinson collected experiences of telecentres in Uganda and South Africa. These are summarized in the book Telecentres, Access, and Development: Experience and Lessons from Uganda and South Africa published by the IDRC. The research analyzes the rich experience of the two countries in their quest for universal access, with particular emphasis on the role of shared access centres (public telephones, cybercafes, telecentres, business centres, etc.) and factors affecting their performance. The author examines relationships between shared access centres, the goal of universal access, and strategies for sustainable development.

Parkinson offers a number of recommendations for policymakers, donor agencies, and intermediaries (such as national NGOs, networks, and associations) to support and strengthen shared ICT-access centres and to increase their developmental impact. However, some of the lessons for implementors of access centers are rather shallow: "Do not be overly ambitious when starting but let the services be guided by the (potential) market demands," "make sure that the service offering is flexible and is not hindered by complex decision-making procedures," or "do not expect the center to be profitable soon after start-up." These recommendations are perhaps too general.

The implementors of access centres may have to look in a different direction for help. Important lessons are offered in the recently published Telecottage Handbook: How to establish and run a successful telecentre. This handbook, published by the UNDP Europe and the CIS, is a practical guide to establishing a telecottage as well as a valuable source of experiences and lessons learned based on the Hungarian telecottage movement. Hungary has the world's highest number of telecenters per capita and the number is still growing (at present more than 500).

Telecottages are a unique infrastructure-intelligence base serving the local community through communication technology, office, IT and educational equipment, a community space, organizational competence and capacity and accessible professional assistance, know-how and information. This is a broader definition than Parkinson uses for the access or telecenters where emphasis is more on the technological infrastructure and less on the community and capacity aspects. This community focus may also be one the success factors of telecottages. In the Hungarian context only one-third of revenues are provided by the services and two-thirds are provided by the local governments and business community.

The Telecottage Handbook provides a complete step-by-step implementation plan and checklists for setting up a telecottage. Importantly, not only the technical aspects are explained, but also community building and community networking receive are strategically discussed. This is not surprising as the text notes that, "The key to success has been that telecottages remain the concern of the locals!" (page viii).

In her conclusions and lessons for the policymakers, Parkinson states that in the case of Uganda and South Africa market liberalization has proven to be a key condition for success. Monopolies and weak regulation in the telecommunications sector are likely to lead to higher costs for the customer. The argument often made for telecommunication monopolies – that they are necessary for achieving universal access – does not bear up in the experience of either South Africa or Uganda. The comparison of the two countries shows that the relatively more liberalized environment of Uganda has facilitated a greater level of universal access. The government, however, needs to integrate the universal access in their development policies, especially in the rural areas. In the Hungarian telecottages this has been well understood by the government. The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications considers the network as its key partner in building an information society at local level.

Rightfully, Parkinson notes that universal access also needs to be translated to the education system. The new generation in the rural areas needs to understand that computers and ICT are not only for the rich and educated, but for all who want to advance. At the same time, schools need to have requisite facilities to equip students with skills and the tools for universal access. Measures should also be taken to ensure that not only the large telecom operators profit, but also the local communities and small businesses that offer access services in these communities benefit. When they profit, they will also become supporters of the centre.

In order to connect rural areas in Africa to the information society and economy there is still a long road ahead. Telecentres provide a good starting point, especially when they are strongly embedded in the local community and supported enabling national policies. The Telecottages Handbook provides a model that could be replicated to boost the number of successes on the African continent and offers strategies to help implementers broaden their view. Policymakers at national and local levels are made to realize that they can be part of the success, or the failure.

Download the books

• Telecentres, Access, and Development: Experience and Lessons from Uganda and South Africa
• Telecottage Handbook: How to establish and run a successful telecentre