When You Do Not Have a Computer: Public-Access Computing in Developing Countries

Abstract

In developing countries, people who do not have computers or the Internet go to public-access computing (PAC) venues such as libraries, telecenters and Internet cafes. What is the nature, scope and impact of the services offered by these PAC venues? Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a mixed-methods investigation of libraries, telecenters and cybercafés in 25 developing countries around the world shows that there is a strong ecosystem of PAC venues in developing countries, and that users are shifting away from libraries in favor of commercially driven Internet cafes that provide good customer service and support to meet their information needs. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of the benefits of using public-access computers indicates that while users enjoy faster and cheaper access to more sources of information, PAC venues appear to be used more for building and maintaining users' social networks, personal relations and entertainment, and less for education, health, e-government or e-commerce activities. We discuss the success factors that emerge in the study, the implications of the choices in public-access venues to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing countries and the focus on personal relations as a critical information need for underserved populations.