Telecentres

Definition

A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies which 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. Telecentres are operated as business entities by themselves or in connection with other businesses; they are operated by public authorities with public objectives, or they can be community telecentres.

The Community Telecentre allows even the most remote village to communicate and exchange information with the rest of the world, and to locally manage, produce and access information for development. Community Telecentres share many common traits in connection with other community media as, at the core, they are entities owned, managed, run and used by the given community.

More details on the telecentre movement, its origins and development on wikipedia: [1]

Birgitte Jallov