Since the past few years, there has been a growing interest on part of the governments, private sector, international donors and community organisations towards the use of telecenters to provide access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). In Africa telecenters have been seen as a means of addressing the lack of ICTs and providing universal access, to both telephony and other forms of ICTs. This paper looks at two types of telecenters.

Type A: Small, private sector telecenters
These centers started off with offering basic telephone services, but have expanded to provide even fax and Internet services. Operating a telecenter is profitable, as it generates a monthly income of approximately $200 per line. However, the small business centers have been successful in only some countries, and they require a supportive environment consisting of a legal system, taxes and helpful telephone operator. The Senegalese telecenters have performed well as sustainable small businesses with support from Sonatel.

Type B: Donor-Funded projects
These are very different and more expensive (up to $250,000) than the aforementioned micro-projects. This involved a partnership between the International Telecommunications Union, UNESCO, and the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC), and has established major centers in Mali, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa. These centers offer a range of telephony, computing, Internet and information services. Among these the most well known is the Nakaseke Multipurpose Community Telecenter (MCT) in Uganda, that opened in March 1999 and aims to introduce and test new technologies and applications and to demonstrate the impact of such technologies on development of rural and remote areas. The telecenter has eight computers, two printers, a scanner, a photocopier, a VCR/TV, a video camera, and a projector. In addition to phone, fax, and Internet use, there are a paper and digital library; computer training; and an interesting Indigenous Knowledge program whereby center staff are building a resource of local health and crop experience. However, frequent power cuts are a problem. The center has proved that ICT can be useful for development in a rural area. But what is required is sufficient local involvement, support, training, and finance.

Conclusion
However, none of them have shown a model that is sustainable. No major funded telecenter has been able to set aside money for depreciation of equipment, let alone generate money to repay the initial capital. Many of these sites are offering useful services in their communities, though most are so young that their impact is more anecdotal than demonstrable.


Role of multipurpose community telecentres in accelerating national development in Ghana
This paper gives an insight into the development, growth and potential sustainability of small business communication centres in cities in Ghana. It was the expansion of the electrical power grid in the 1990s, that facilitated the expansion of the communication infrastructure (e.g., the telephone system) in Ghana.

The Ghanaian telecentres centres provide single-point access to information and services, implying that they provide a narrow range of services, often located in a single room. By combining technology, trainers and users together at one location, these centres expect to reduce the traditional barriers to using any new technology. The expected result then is better performance in work, self-employment, vocational and life-long learning and communication. The idea behind this is actually to replace individual access to new digital tools with community access.

Telephone is one of the most basic services, and fax being a popular one. Most people send and receive faxes at telecentres rather than at their offices or homes. Photocopying is done on a small scale with a low-end and slow machine. Another service is video viewing for individuals and groups. Moreover, an increasing number of centres are providing computer-based services such as word processing, spreadsheets and graphics. Drop-in e-mail sending and receipt from a telecentre account is offered on a limited basis. Internet access fees start at US$1.00 per quarter hour. Some of the telecentres have existing contracts with non-governmental agencies to provide basic secretarial services, and some of the more advanced centres such as the cyberc@fes provide services aimed at the urban walk-in user, who seeks personal support rather than support for work-related activities. There are some others that provide Web site development for businesses and local agencies.

Due to poor connectivity, inadequate infrastructure and human resource limitations, most of the centres provide very limited services. Low level of communication infrastructure in the rural areas make it difficult for such areas to be linked electronically. There is a need for the government of Ghana and donors to foster markets for those services where there is a weak commercial demand. The extra attention, pilot programs, assessments, marketing of new services may stimulate awareness and demand. In such a case, later on the private sector could step in and provide the service. However, a fastest method would be to continue the public-private partnerships, such as the post office Internet services, in which public money serves to guide private initiative and resources to meet public purposes.



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