Etta F.E. and Parvyn-Wamahiu S. (eds) (2003) Introduction: Joining the information society 2003, in Communication Technologies For Development In Africa: Volume 2 The Experience with Community Telecentres, Ottawa: IDRC

Online: http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-56545-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

The chapter quickly outlines the features of the new information society, exposing challenging for less developed countries. It goes on describing the history of the ACACIA Program and the purposes and methodology of the research on ACACIA telecentres described in the book. The authors give the following description of what a telecentre is: a telecentre is an integrated information and communication facility that houses a combination of both new and not-so new ICTs (e.g., television, video, facsimile, telephone, computers with Internet connectivity, and sometimes books). This type of facility in which a number of different information and communication technologies are housed and used in an integrated manner is seen as the modern telecentre and is called a multipurpose telecentre. There is, however, a certain variety in the form, facilities, and functions available at telecentres, from the simple telecentre with only one or two telephones and no link to the World Wide Web, to a centre with numerous telephones, facsimile machines, printers, and computers connected to the Internet. Telecentres provide public access to communication and information for economic, social and cultural development or telecommunication and information services for a range of developmental aims.

Authors, then, list all name given to such experiences: telecentre, public access point, telecottage, telekiosk, teleboutique, phone shop, infocentre, telehaus, telestugen, digital clubhouse, cabinas puiblicas, multi-purpose access centre, community technology centre, (CTC), multi-purpose community telecentre (MCT), community access centre, multi-purpose community centre (MPCC), community media centre (CMC) or community learning centre (CLC), community multi-media centre, electronic village hall, tele-village or cybercafé