Public Internet Access should be made widely available: Study

Even today, with the use of laptops, PCs, tablets and smartphones majority of people in low-income countries still depend on public computer and Internet access venues. However, as new technologies, platforms and venues become available interest in providing and investing in such public access has lessened in recent years, especially among development agencies.

It may be mentioned here, a five-year, eight-country recent study by the Technology & Social Change Group at the University of Washington Information School has found that majority of people in low- and middle-income countries and underemployed ones, women, rural residents including those who are often marginalized, are benefit in areas such as education, employment and health when they use computers and the Internet at public access venues.

A survey of 5,000 computer users at libraries, telecenters and cybercafés and 2,000 nonusers at home was held by the Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information & Communication Technologies to ascertain patterns of public access use. The survey also tracked 1,250 operators of public access venues with seven in-depth case studies to examine issues that have generated controversy. The study took into account eight low- and middle-income countries on three continents, which included Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, Philippines and South Africa.

The findings include:

• One-third surveyed used public access venues for Internet
• That was the first-ever computer contact for more than half of those users – majority of that were lower socioeconomic groups and female populations
• Over 50% said their use of computers would decrease if there was no access to public venues
• About half cited a lack of computer access as their main reason for using public venues
• Around 40% surveyed said access to public venues was crucial to their development of computer skills,
• Around 50% said the same of learning Internet skills

The study also has advice for government and donor organizations as well as libraries and telecenter practitioners.

Their recommendations include:

• Wide availability of public access venues
• Incorporate them into national initiatives including digital resources, health services, education, governance and other areas
• Use existing infrastructure when investing in public Internet access - libraries is a case in point
• Use games, as they help build skills in technology
• Value social networking and communications platforms as great venues for accessing important resources
• Mobile phones do not pose a threat to public access, according to the study

The study provided governments and the international development community with empirical evidence about what type of impact has resulted from these investments, said Chris Coward, director of the Technology & Social Change Group.

You can find the data from this study publicly available for others to use on the project website, www.globalimpactstudy.org.

The funding to the Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information & Communication Technologies was carried out by Canada’ s International Development Research Centre with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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