What are the Business Model, reach & relevance?
The developed nations are looking to ways of bringing computers & Internet through broad band to every home. This approach does not work in the poorer nations where the cost of a computer equals to annual income to many! The Cyber cafes capitalize on to bring in high cost of technology infrastructure to individuals on a shared basis, where in customers is charged on per use basis. As per a survey conducted in early 2003. Internet access per hour in India is as low as Rs. 15 per hour (USD 0.33 per hour!). The community Tele-centers bring in the multiplier effect in achieving the wide Internet penetration. A home PC is at best shared by 5 people, but a single computer in a browsing center is accessed by a minimum of 20 people a day and over a 1500 unique user annually! Thus the browsing centers are the best bet in bridging the “Digital Divide”.
