The Complementarity Between Mobile Phones and CICs
In an age where smartphones seem to outpace traditional public ICT facilities, new research from Ghana challenges the idea that Community Information Centres (CICs), or telecentres, are relics of a pre-mobile past. Instead, the study of 10 CICs in Ghana’s Upper East Region with 451 respondents reveals a complementary dynamic: mobile technologies and telecentres together advance equitable development, each filling gaps the other cannot fully cover.
With Ghana reporting a mobile adoption rate around 55% and 10.7 million internet users via mobile devices, conventional wisdom warned that telecentres would wane. The evidence, however, shows that a mobile-first world still relies on CICs for more complex tasks, structured learning, and inclusive access.
The Three Critical Functions Mobile Phones Cannot Replace
While smartphones handle simple tasks efficiently, the study identifies three core functions where CICs remain indispensable:
1) Digital Skills Development Beyond Basic Literacy
Mobile devices are strong for content consumption, but percentage-wise, they fall short on creation and advanced digital literacy. The Ghana study found that rural CICs significantly boost youth digital literacy, improving job searches, e-learning participation, and the ability to transition from consumer to creator. Telecentres provide a structured environment with trained staff to teach spreadsheet use, government portals navigation, and business planning—skills that foster real employment opportunities for youth.
2) Serving the Digitally Excluded
Access to digital services on mobile networks is not universal. The research highlights that CICs play a crucial role in serving marginalized groups—those who are poor, illiterate, migrant, or disabled—who may be left out of commercial digital ecosystems. CICs offer universal design accessibility, services in local languages, and relief from the barrier of device ownership, ensuring more inclusive participation in the digital economy.
3) Complex Task Facilitation and Government Services
Mobile interfaces handle social media and basic communication well but struggle with complex tasks that demand larger screens, keyboards, and sustained attention. CICs enable access to e-government services, formal education programs, and other intricate tasks that are impractical on mobile devices alone. Information availability at CICs creates a positive feedback loop, expanding training programs and community activities as more information resources become accessible.
The Mediation Effect: Access Is Not Enough
One of the study’s most striking findings is the mediating role of CIC activities. Simply providing access accounts for some impact, but structured programming and human support translate access into tangible benefits. Activities at CICs partially mediate the relationship between access and impact, representing a meaningful portion of the overall effect (about 21% of total effects for access and 61% for information). In short, technology transfer succeeds when there is guided practice and professional mediation to help users navigate complex digital systems.
<h2 ICT4D Policy Implications: Embrace Integrated Digital Ecosystems
The evidence advocates a move away from an either/or debate about mobile-first versus telecentre models. Instead, successful interventions should weave together the strengths of both platforms. The study recommends co-located telecentre initiatives that integrate mobile technology with in-person support, enabling basic digital tasks online while providing hands-on help for complex needs. Libraries and CICs thus emerge as practical anchors in public access to ICT, especially for communities underserved by commercial markets.
Conclusion: Redefining the Role of Telecentres
Ghana’s experience demonstrates that the mobile revolution does not render telecentres obsolete. Rather, CICs fill crucial gaps in digital skills, inclusive access, and government service navigation. The challenge—and opportunity—for policymakers and practitioners is to design integrated digital ecosystems that leverage the complementary strengths of mobile devices and telecentres to achieve truly inclusive development outcomes.
