[UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a needfor telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

[Ahmed Ndaula]

Dear Wend and All,


> If you have not been observant, to a lay Ugandan and many other Ugandans,
> mobile usage increasingly has far more advantages than just simply walking
> into a Telecenter because a mobile phone can be operated from anywhere. Who
> knows, in the near future, there might be no need for Telecenters anyway as
> the mobile phone becomes a personal Telecenter.


True, a mobile phone can be operated from anyway but this has some
limitations depending on which type of handset you are holding, cost and
awareness. Honestly, from a lay Ugandan, would only think of using a mobile
phone for Calls and SMS. This is because the cost of Data connection is
still high that it's hard to find a lay man thinking of even using a mobile
phone to access internet. Cafes in both rural and urban are filled with
people holding mobile phones. And I think this is the case to even some if
not most of the communities in other areas.

At the moment and some years to tomorrow, I think telecentres will continue
to dominate.


Best,
Ahmed