The Journal Of Community Informatics: The study titled, Cybercafes and their Potential as Community Development Tools in India, starts with the assumption that cybercafes can bridge the digital divide, as they provide Internet access to people who cannot afford to have Internet connections at their homes or who need help in order to make use of ICT. It is part of a doctoral thesis of Anikar M. Haseloff, Universität Augsburg.
Abstract: The study examines the role of Cybercafés in urban, semiurban and suburban areas of India. Cybercafés have become an important access point for different urban communities in India, and the paper discusses their role in an urban development context. To examine the role of Cybercafés, a broad quantitative and qualitative analysis of cybercafes has been made in different urban, semiurban and suburban areas in India, including a user survey of 1500 users and 30 interviews. This paper discusses some of the findings, shows some up to date trends of the Indian Cybercafe Scene and shows some interesting potentials that Cybercafés in urban areas have to serve different communities.
According to a reader in response to this study: “The biggest weakeness in the current cyber cafe infrastructure (apart from Reliance and Sify and maybe few other significant players) in our country is the fact that most cybercafes don’t pay for software. Had they had to purchase software licenses, not many would be able to survive. This state is untenable in the future, so we need to find a way out. Otherwise, they will largely continue to remain outside the domain of legitimate business.”
A very valid point, indeed.
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