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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Elizabeth, Matyas and all,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The Australian experience mirrors the
Hungarian with perhaps a lesser reliance on Local Government. Most Telecentre’s
received start-up funding from the Commonwealth with a lesser contributory
portion coming from State Governments. Our major Telecentre support networks
are run by State Government Departments funded in large portion by Commonwealth
contributions. It is worth noting that our Federal and State Governments have
now ceased providing funds for start-up Telecentre’s.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Very few Australian Telecentre’s
have closed in recent years however a great many have evolved into businesses
scarcely recognisable as Telecentre’s as niche markets are discovered,
developed, and duplicative ventures are handed to Government and/or other commercial
providers. In these cases services were, as you suspect, integrated into other
community businesses and programs. In other cases services simply became
obsolete as newer technologies replaced market demand (home broadband &
community WIFI developments etc.) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Some of our early Telecentre’s are
now banks; others are training venues affiliated with State or National
training providers; some are computer repair shops; some are ISP’s. Most
retain the name of Telecentre (or ‘Technology & Learning Centre’,
‘Business Incubation Centre’ etc.) however become less true Telecentre’s
as services are rationalised to meet evolving community needs. A good overview
of the types of services provided by NSW Telecentre’s (and the charges
applied for each service) is available at: <a
href="http://www.ctc.nsw.gov.au/service/browse_type.jsp">www.ctc.nsw.gov.au/service/browse_type.jsp</a>
- The charges applied are comparatively low in accord with the community focus
of Telecentre’s however are designed to maintain financial sustainability
while acknowledging a need to maintain competitive neutrality. The purpose of
Telecentre’s is certainly not to put other businesses out of business by undercutting
prices to an extent where no business is sustainable – Such an act would
be counter to the mission of fostering community economic development as it inevitably
leads to a welfare state.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Rgds, Don<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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