Social Impact and Diffusion of Telecenter Use: A Study from the Sustainable Access in Rural India Project

Published in a special issue of The Journal of Community Informatics focused on telecentres (vol. 2, no. 3), this paper shares trends and strategies related to the social impacts of telecentre use in rural south India.

As detailed here, the authors carried out a study of the Sustainable Access in Rural India (SARI) project, which was launched in November 2001 in an effort to foster rural social, economic, and political development by providing comprehensive information and communication services through computer and internet kiosks. The kiosks offer services including basic computer education, email, web browsing, e-government, health, and agricultural and veterinary applications on a fee-for-service basis. A majority of the kiosks are locally owned and operated by self-employed entrepreneurs, while some are operated by self-help groups from a local non-governmental organisation (NGO). By June 2004, the project had established 77 such kiosks in rural communities in Melur Taluk, within the Madurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. (The number of kiosks was 39 in June 2003 when the research being reported in this article was conducted).

The authors contend that "[t]his case is of particular interest in that it is one of the first projects in India that aimed at establishing commercially sustainable telecenters in rural communities." In this paper, they first describe the overall project. They then outline the methodology employed in their empirical study, and present their data analysis. A discussion of the results follows. The authors analyse these findings within the framework of Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory, ending with a series of conclusions integrating this thinking.

In short, the authors carried out a survey of 132 kiosk users in 5 villages, collected quantitative data, and interviewed with kiosk operators, SARI project officials, and government officials. This research revealed that the centres are being used only by a relatively small proportion of the village households - roughly 5% - despite the centres' having been in operation (at the time of the study) for well over a year. It was found that these users are, in general, young male school or college students who are relatively more educated, belong to relatively higher income households, and come from socially and economically advanced communities. (Six tables in the Appendix of this paper provide specific data.)

As the research for this study was conducted in mid-2003, the authors again conducted field research during July 2005 to validate the findings of this study. They found that of the 77 kiosks that were established in the region by June 2004, 29 of the 35 kiosks run by self-employed entrepreneurs had closed down, whereas 42 kiosks being run by the NGO were still operating.

Reflecting on these patterns, the authors conclude that telecentres, at least in this case, may sustain existing socioeconomic inequalities within these communities. They explore factors associated with attracting more users, such as location of telecentres close to the residential localities where socially and economically challenged communities live, and the presence of local champions within those communities. It was also found that providing localised content and services, and making these services more affordable, can increase usage and diffusion. Incorporating these factors into the planning, spatial location, and operation of the telecentres, they conclude, can significantly improve their social diffusion and improve their long-term financial and social sustainability.