WSIS+10 26 February 2013

Do Public Access ICTs have an Impact on Socio-Economic Development?

Solution to digital divide!

Invest, invest, invest!

PUBLIC ACCESS AT THE TIME OF WSIS…

High expectations!

peregrinari

Mark Surman

Mark Surman

CSC India

ARE PUBLIC ACCESS ICT VENUES…

failures?

make_change

frivolous?

mikekogh

needed? digital.democracyirrelevant? DFID

this is a blank slide for photos or graphics

Lithuania

Ghana

Botswana

South Africa

Bangladesh

Philippines

Chile

Brazil

GLOBAL IMPACT STUDY OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO ICTS

globalimpactstudy.org

libraries telecenters cybercafés

DIFFERENT MODELS OF PUBLIC ACCESS

WHAT DID WE FIND?

I. Digital inclusion

II. Social and economic impacts

III. Value of public access

DIGITAL INCLUSION

Dorian V.

THE CRITICAL FIRST TOUCH

Bangladesh Brazil Chile Ghana Philippines0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

First use of computer at public access venueFirst use of Internet at public access venue

% o

f use

rs

For more than half of the user survey respondents, a public access venue provided them with their:• first ever contact with computers (50%) • first ever contact with the Internet (62%)

ONLY OPTION FOR ACCESS

Public access venues were the only source of access to the Internet for at least a third (33%) of survey respondents

The majority of respondents (over 55%) would see a decrease in their use of ICT if public access venues were no longer available

To get help from other users

To get help from venue staff

Better equipment than home or work

No other option for computer access

To work or be with friends or other people

No other option for Internet access

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Main reasons for using public access venues

DIGITAL LITERACY – ICT SKILLS

Users identified public access venues as the most important place for development of their computer (40%) and Internet (50%) skills

Publ

ic a

cces

s ve

nue

Home

Scho

ol0

10

20

30

40

50

60

ComputerInternet

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC IMPACTS

DOMAIN USES

Communications & Leisure

Education Employment & Income

Culture & Language

Health Governance0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

% of users engaged in domains in the last 12 months

All Venues

USER NEEDS DRIVE USE

Didn'

t hav

e th

e ne

ed

Didn'

t thi

nk o

f it

No sp

ecifi

c re

ason

Secu

rity

of m

y in

form

atio

n

Privac

y

Som

e ot

her r

easo

n0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Why didn’t you use public access for…

Employment & Income Education HealthGovernance Culture & Language

% o

f u

se

rs

Did you search for a job? (57%)

Did you find information to apply? (89%)

Did you apply? (91%)

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

Employment & Income

THE VALUE OF PUBLIC ACCESS

Ryan McFarland

(National Library in Peru)

COMMUNICATIONS & SOCIAL NETWORKS

MOBILE PHONES ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE

Almost all users surveyed have a mobile phone (96%)

Only 4% of non-users don’t use public access venues because of mobile phones

South Africa In-depth Study Western Cape teens with mobile Internet Teens have developed practices to maximize

use of both mobiles and public access Mobiles supports social literacies

Public access supports digital literacies

Marion Walton

LOOKING FORWARD

1. Re-commit to public access as a priority

2. Re-connect with domain-specific priorities

3. Re-think value of social media and games

4. Embrace mobiles

5. Recognize value of place

SPL pic

majordojo

Seattle Public Library

Technology & Social Change Grouptascha.uw.edu | @taschagroup

globalimpactstudy.org | @ictimpact

Thank You

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Chris Cowardccoward@uw.ed