Information Society Watch

Anikar M. Haseloff

It is often argued that cybercafes could help 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 ICTs. The following study seeks to test this assumption, and also explore the problems and potential of cyber-cafes. Apart from the widely used individual ownership model of accessing ICTs, the next popular model which has been extensively used is that of public internet facilities, particularly cyber cafes. This is especially important given the fact that such shared/public access points are a main strategy in several Internet access programs.

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