RE: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive 10 More Years?

[Gáspár Mátyás]

Dictators don't like Internet acces places for all, because it makes
international and external information flows uncontrollable. Internet
cafes and other types of public or community Internet access places will
exist after 10 years, but functions may gradually change depending on
new technology (convergence) and content (the role of local, community
content will grow). Matyas Gaspar, Hungary

-----Original Message-----
From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
[mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 2:05 AM
To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive 10 More
Years?

Shah Jahan Bhatti wrote:

> With the arrival of Internet, cyber cafe's mushroomed in my city but
> due to shameful dictations of mullahs in government most of them
> closed down. I don't think remaing ones will survive another ten years
> from now. Dictators in the poor countries don't like them to grow. Can
> any body tell me why?
> M. Shah Jahan Bhatti

Who owns the telecommunication company or companies? In Trinidad and
Tobago, it remains a government controlled monopoly (TSTT: 51%
government, 49% Cable and Wireless) despite promises of competition for
over 5 years. Some centers were even sued by TSTT because they were
using Voice over IP (VoIP).

That's one reason. I suppose with consistent earnings at over 15% at
times, the government isn't too interested in helping people out. Think
of it as a 'technology tax'.

Other reasons... well, I can speculate on the region you are in, but I
do not know. Would censorship of materials such as pornography and other
'inappropriate' material be seen as something to be wary of by
governments, and if so... is it because they are unfamiliar with the
technology? A lot of the time, governments are made up of people in
their elder years - and they may not be exposed with, familiar with and
*comfortable* with such things. But that's pure speculation on my
part...

-- 
Taran Rampersad

cnd at knowprose.com

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