NRI's Reader in Rural Livelihoods, Czech Conroy has undertaken a critical review of the role of rural telecentres as one of the means by which information and communications technology (ICT) can contribute to development objectives in rural areas. The review, carried out as part of the EU-funded pilot phase of the TeleSupport Project, discusses issues raised by previous literature on the role of telecentres, and then focuses on descriptions or case studies of nine telecentre initiatives in India. The review (available as the Project's Working Paper 4 [pdf 253Kb]) relates these case-study experiences to general themes concerning internet-based telecentres and wider approaches to communication for development, including traditional media and other elements of ICT, such as radio and mobile phones.
For more information, visit the TeleSupport website or contact the TeleSupport Project Coordinator Dr Tim Chancellor (T.C.B.Chancellor@gre.ac.uk) or the review's author Czech Conroy (M.A.Conroy@gre.ac.uk).