[Telecentres] Business Model and sustainability issues

[Shahid Uddin Akbar]

Dear All,
   
  Telecenter has become the most efficient tool to bring the benefits of ICT in the rural areas. In many countries, we have seen enormous initatives based on Telecenter model, in different names - community information center, knowledge center, Telecenter, rural information center etc.
   
  But still struggling to get the Business Model which should be based on local perspective, focus and obviously need based. It also needs to consider the location issues, whether in remote rural areas or in semi urban areas.
   
  As most of the developing countries are still fighting to alliviate poverty and basic human needs, it seems sometime that ICT at remote rural is really fancy for the community people. Such projects also have limited scope to serve to the local beneficiary groups as local contents are still a major challenge which has not been resolved yet. Only few projects (mainly in India and 1/2 in Bangladesh) have made significants progress and those needs to be shared and knowledge transferred.
   
  At this perspective and seeing the broader scopes to promote Telecenter movement forward, it is the high time to work together and establish networks among regional actors, and finally a global alliance may be useful to coordinate the local initiatives and build capacity of the operators.
   
  Thanks,
   
  Shahid Uddin Akbar
  Coordinator
  ICT for Development Program, Bangladesh (ICTDP'B)
  Dhaka, Bangladesh
  www.sonagazi.info
   

		
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