This table reports basic data on the telecentres analyzed in the literature review.
 

Row

Country and Town

Type

Funding organization and year of creation

Location

Equipment

Services

Users

Problems

Management

Sustainability

1

Mali – Timbuktu

Multipurpose Community Telecentre

ITU, UNESCO, and IDRC, established in 1998

Town Hall (temporary-free of charge)

4 rooms:

- the largest room: training and reception area

- the second room: Internet and facsimile office

- the server room

- the manager’s office

- 15 Pc (majority Pentium), 4 broken 

- 3 printers

- 1 fax

- 1 digital camera. equipment in good working condition.

- Microsoft® Windows operating system.

- Software manuals and electronic documents in French.

- Few CD-ROMs

Most used services:

-telephone

- facsimile

(for social reason)

 

Computer related services:

- word processing

- training in ICTs (40%)

- computer games.

 

-10% use Internet

Single users

- women 23.2%

- youth 48.5%

- adults 51.8%

- elderly  <2%

 

Organizations and legal entities.

 

Mornings preferred time.

Educated users, a lot of professionals, the feeling that computers are for literate people was pervasive among respondents.

 

- connectivity

- technical problems

- costs

Community-based management

Still based on founders organizations.

2

Mozambique - Manhiça

Telecentre

Eduardo Mondlane University Informatics Centre and IDRC, established  in 1999

In the district centre

- 75 m2 in a building

owned by the Castro Restaurant

- one continuous room

 

 

- computers

- photocopiers

- fax

- telephones

- television sets

- video cassette recorders

- print materials

- scan

 

Most used services:

- photocopying

- word processing

- telephones

 

least used services:

- email

- fax

- Internet

 

- individuals 81%

- organizations 19%

- more men

- most users 17-25 years old

- the most <40

- educated

- 1 time per day

- illiteracy

- unfamiliarity with ICTs

- lack of publicity

- high cost

- poor physical facilities

- lack of electricity

- CIUEM implementing agency: technical, financial, and management support.

- Two male staff members with technical and financial management training

- A Local Advisory Committee (not very active)

--

3

Mozambique – Namaacha

 

telecentre

Eduardo Mondlane University Informatics Centre and IDRC, established in 1999

In the district centre, in the Namaacha Secondary School.

- clearly designated spaces for the different services that are offered

- computers

- photocopiers

- fax

- telephones

- television sets

- video cassette recorders

- print materials

- scan

 

Most used services:

- photocopying

- word processing

- telephones

 

least used services:

- email

- fax

- Internet

 

- individuals 81%

- organizations 19%

- more men

- most users 17-25

- 75% students

- educated

- 1time per day

 

- illiteracy

- unfamiliarity with ICTs

- lack of publicity

- high cost

- poor physical facilities

- lack of electricity

- CIUEM implementing agency: technical, financial, and management support.

- Two male staff members with technical and financial management training

- A Local Advisory Committee (not very active)

--

Row

Country and Town

Type

Funding organization and year of creation

Location

Equipment

Services

Users

Problems

Management

Sustainability

4

Mozambique - Manhiça

 

http://www.

telecentros.

org.mz/

telecentre

Eduardo Mondlane University Informatics

Centre (CIUEM) and IDRC (UNESCO), established in 1999

 

75 km from Maputo

Four times the population of Namaacha district, urban population 22,000. Economic activities are farming, agro-industry and catering for travellers and migrant miners.

Significantly larger numbers of people in the higher income bands

 

- located on the town’s main street in an outbuilding between a café (rent), and a church.

- a single work area

 

from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Mondays to Fridays, and from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays.

 

 

- 4 computers (1 server, 3 public)

- lan and internet dial-up

- an ink-jet and laser printer.

- UPS (uninterruptible power supply)

- surge protector

- an AVS

system

- Windows 95

- public phones

- photocopiers

 

 

most popular services:

- public phones

- fax

- photocopying and binding

-  library

- TV

- video.

 

Others:

- word processing

- games

- CDROM usage

- e-mail and Internet

- ICT training(Windows, Word, Excel and e-mail/Internet)

 

 

• power supply,

• the high cost of phone calls,

 

 

CIUEM: technical matters

 

- Local Monitoring Committees

 

- a manager

- an assistant

- two guards

 

Staff trained in ICTs and administration

 

Various channels of pubblicity

Users needs assessment

 

Running cost sustained

5

Mozambique– Namaacha

 

http://www.

telecentros.

org.mz/

telecentre

Eduardo Mondlane University Informatics

Centre (CIUEM) and IDRC (UNESCO), established in 1999

 

75 km from Maputo

31,259 people, under one-third living in urban

areas. Economic activities are small-scale cross-border trading, farming, tourism and  industries of bottles.

A number of educational institutions

 

- Based in a former workshop within the local secondary school, it pays rent and special relationship.

- one large room, 10 x 12m

 

from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Mondays to Fridays, and from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays.

 

- 4 computers (1 server, 3 public)

- lan and internet dial-up

- an ink-jet and laser printer.

- UPS (uninterruptible power supply)

- surge protector

- an AVS

system

- Windows 95

- public phones

- photocopiers

 

most popular services:

- public phones

- fax

- photocopying and binding

-  library

- TV

- video.

 

Others:

- word processing

- games

- CDROM usage

- e-mail and Internet

- ICT training (Windows, Word, Excel and e-mail/Internet)

 

 

 

• power supply,

• the high cost of phone calls,

• small  population base and low level of development,

 

CIUEM: technical matters

 

- Local Monitoring Committees

 

- a manager

- an assistant

- two guards

 

Staff trained in ICTs and administration

 

Various channels of pubblicity

Users needs assessment

 

Running cost sustained

6

Uganda - Wandegeya Cyber-Mart

2001

cybercafe

 

- Wandegeya a suburb about 2 km north of Kampala city centre.

- trading centre with a few shops, food kiosks, and a big food market.

A few undreds meters from the Wandegeya National Housing Estate (middle income) and Makerere University

 

- 22 computer (Pentium II)

- one laser printer

- one or two telephone lines

- a fax

- a photocopier

- a television set

- an uninterrupted power supply (UPS)

- one overhead unit

- email and Internet

- basic IT training

- internet 91%

- word

Service use shows a concentration on telephone and television services in the rural telecentres, and on email and Internet in the urban cybercafés

more males than females

social reasons

 

- technically skilled staff

- six staff members

- managing director

 

Row

Country and Town

Type

Funding organization and year of creation

Location

Equipment

Services

Users

Problems

Management

Sustainability

7

Uganda - Bugolobi Business Centre

2001

cybercafe

 

In the Bugolobi trading centre, about 3 km from Kampala city centre. Near a large residential housing estate (well-off and the poor).

 

- 5–7 computers (Pentium II)

- one laser printer

- one or two telephone lines

- a fax

- a photocopier

- a television set

- telephone

- fax

- email and Internet

- photocopying

Word the most common service used, not to many use the internet

Service use shows a concentration on telephone and television services in the rural telecentres, and on email and Internet in the urban cybercafés

more males than females

social reasons

 

- technically skilled staff

- six staff members

- managing director

Still funded

8

Uganda - Buwama Telecentre

2001

MCC

IDRC Acacia1999

In Buwama sub-county in Mpigi District. 64 km from Kampala in southwestern Uganda. In Buwama there is the one major trading centre in the sub-county

Farmer area. Poor information and communication infrastructure

 

In a public community centre (for free)

 

 

- 5–7 computers (Pentium II)

- one laser printer

- one or two telephone lines

- a fax

- a photocopier

- a television set

- an uninterrupted power supply (UPS)

- one overhead unit

- telephone

- library services

- basic IT training

- radio

- photocopying

Word the most common service used, not to many use the internet

Service use shows a concentration on telephone and television services in the rural telecentres, and on email and Internet in the urban cybercafés

more males than females

social reasons

- equipment not working

-lack of electricity

- Limited range of services

- accessibility

- Inconvenient hours

- not technically skilled staff

-poor management

- six staff members

- local management committees

Still funded

9

Uganda - Nabweru telecentre

2001

 

MCC

IDRC Acacia1999

In the Nabweru sub-county headquarters in Mpigi District, 6 km northwest of Kampala. 

One of the fastest growing sub-counties in the district.

trading and farming

 

in government building (for free)

 

Separate office for the manager

 

- 5–7 computers (Pentium II)

- one laser printer

- one or two telephone lines

- a fax

- a photocopier

- a television set

- an uninterrupted power supply (UPS)

- one overhead unit

- telephone

- fax

- email and Internet

- library services

- basic IT training

- radio

- photocopying

Word the most common service used, not to many use the internet

Service use shows a concentration on telephone and television services in the rural telecentres, and on email and Internet in the urban cybercafés

more males than females

social reasons

- equipment not working

- lack of electricity

- slow internet connection

- Limited range of services

- accessibility

- Inconvenient hours

- not technically skilled staff

-poor management

- six staff members

- local management committees

 

Still funded

Row

Country and Town

Type

Funding organization and year of creation

Location

Equipment

Services

Users

Problems

Management

Sustainability

10

Uganda -Nakaseke Multipurpose Community Telecentre

MCC

IDRC, ITU, UNESCO

1999

- in the Luweero District of Uganda, 50 km from Kampala

- a network of villages with a total population of 31,000 people, over 1,000 live in the proximity of the Nakaseke Trading

Centre.

 

- 3 rooms, a large hall used for the resource centre,

ICT training and video shows, plus two smaller side rooms: for administration and as a business centre

 

New location: library

 

from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

 

- 8 computers on a LAN (Pentium IIs, and 486 processors)

 

• telephone and fax;

• resource centre and book box for schools;

• Internet and e-mail;

• ICT training and applications;

• topical video shows;

• outreach programmes and community development programmes;

• secretarial services;

• compilation and dissemination of indigenous knowledge;

• sports and entertainment;

• telemedicine;

• demonstration site for modern agricultural practice and, linking of research centres with extension agents and rural farmers.

 

Female 25.8%

Male 74.2%

 

<15 years 4.88%

15–20 years 54.47%

20–30 years 22.76%

>30 years 17.89%

 

More than 50% students

 

- hours of operation

Owned by Nakaseke Sub-County Council.

- 3 committees: a Management

Committee, a Local Steering Committee and a Core User Group, part-time Project Officer

 

- 4 staff: the Manager, Assistant Manager, Information Officer and

Assistant Information Officer.

 

- Publicity (=1 year before)

- staff training

up to 60% of its running costs from its international

partners

 

(up to 2001 free services?)

 

11

Uganda - Nakaseke Telecentre

2001

(the first rural telecentre in Uganda)

MCC

IDRC ITU, and UNESCO, among others 1999

In Nakaseke sub-county in Luwero District about 44 km north of Kampala..

good educational infrastructure

Farmere area

 

In a public community centre (for free)

 

Separate office for the manager

- 5–7 computers (Pentium II)

- one laser printer

- one or two telephone lines

- a fax

- a photocopier

- a television set

- an uninterrupted power supply (UPS)

- one overhead unit

- telephone

- fax

- email and Internet

- library services

- basic IT training

- radio

- photocopying

Word the most common service used, not to many use the internet

Service use shows a concentration on telephone and television services in the rural telecentres, and on email and Internet in the urban cybercafés

more males than females

social reasons

- equipment not working

- lack of electricity

- slow internet connection

- Limited range of services

- accessibility

- Inconvenient hours

- not technically skilled staff

- nine staff members

- local management committees

 

12

South Africa – Botlokwa

1998-1999

Telecentre – franchising model

IDRC and USA, 2001

Semi rural location, Northern Province

- 7 computer

- printer

- fax

- 5 telephones

- scanner

- television sets

- video cassette recorder

 

Top services:

- photocopying 49.1% - telephone calls 28.3%

- computer use 11.3%

- printing 9.4%

 

Reason of use:

- Social and health reasons

- education and training

- business and government information

- employment, computer training, project hosting, funeral services, and local news

- 26–40 years old 48%

-  over 40 years old 32%

- no data below 25 years of age

- 50.9% male

- 49.1% female

 

- over 30% from the education sub-sector

- labourers (e.g., domestic workers and taxi-drivers etc.) 20.5%,

- unemployed 10%

- government officials 10%

- Cost

- infrastructure - power

- equipment

- security

- staffing problems (number and attitude) es.

- Lack of publicity

- accessibility

- a not strategic location

- owned by The Botlokwa Communications Awareness Forum

- 8 members management committee representing the community tension as some people felt the telecentre was being run for individual profit rather than as a development project.

 

 

Row

Country and Town

Type

Funding organization and year of creation

Location

Equipment

Services

Users

Problems

Management

Sustainability

13

South Africa – Phalala

1998-1999

Telecentre – franchising model

IDRC and USA, 2001

Rural area, Northern Province

- housed in a building donated by the council in the grounds of the sports stadium.

- 4 computer

- printer

- fax

- 2 telephones

- scanner

- television sets

- video cassette recorder

- internet

Top services:

- telephone calls 43.8%

- photocopying 14.6%