From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from )
"Net cafe" redirects here. For television series of the same name, see .
This article has multiple issues. Please help
or discuss these issues on the .
This article's
may not adequately
key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to
of all important aspects of the article. Please discuss this issue on the article's . (November 2011)
This article may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia's . . The
may contain suggestions. (March 2009)
This article needs additional citations for . Please help
by . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2015)
Internet café and library on the
Combination Internet café and
in , Germany
An Internet café also known as Coffee net or Café net is a place which provides
access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the
in the name. The fee for using a computer is usually charged as a time-based rate.
logo circa 1993, San Francisco, Calif.
: one of the world's first Internet cafés, London, 1994
Internet café in , .
An Internet café in , , Malaysia.
The first online café in
called Electronic Café opened in front of
in March 1988 by Ahn Sang-Su and Keum Nuri in . It had two 16bit computers connected to
networks through telephone lines. Online service users’ offline meetings were held in the Electronic Café, which served as a place that connected online and offline activities. The opening of the online café in Korea was 2–3 years ahead of other countries.
The online café phenomenon in the
was started in July 1991 by Wayne Gregori in
when he began . Gregori designed, built and installed 25 coin operated computer terminals in
throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The café terminals dialed into a 32 line
that offered an array of electronic services including
mail and, in 1992, .
The concept of a café with full Internet access (and the name Cybercafé) was invented in early 1994 by . Commissioned to develop an Internet event for an arts weekend at the
(ICA) in London, and inspired by the SFnet terminal based cafes, Pope wrote a proposal outlining the concept of a café with Internet access In June 1994, , 's first Internet café, opened in .
After an initial appearance at the conference site of the 5th International Symposium on Electronic Art, , in August 1994, an establishment called CompuCafe was established in , , featuring both Internet access and a robotic beer seller.
Inspired partly by the ICA event, a commercial establishment of this type, called , opened on September 1, 1994 in , . In January 1995, CB1 Café in Cambridge, installed an Internet connection and is the longest running Internet Café in the UK, still operating today.
The first public, commercial
Internet café was conceived and opened by Jeff Anderson in August 1994, at Infomart in
and was called The High Tech Cafe.
Three Internet cafés subsequently opened in the
neighborhood of : Internet Cafetm, opened by Arthur Perley, the @ Cafe, and the Heroic Sandwich. In 1996, the Internet café Surf City opened in downtown .
A variation of Internet café called
(similar to ) became extremely popular in South Korea when
was released in 1997. Although computer and
penetration per capita were very high, young people went to PC bangs to play multiplayer games.
Internet Cafe, , Australia in 2005
Internet cafés are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access
services to keep in touch with family and friends. Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafés are the primary form of Internet access for citizens as a shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software. A variation on the Internet café
is the LAN gaming center, used for
gaming. These cafés have several computer stations connected to a . The connected computers are custom-assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer . This is reducing the need for
and , many of which are being closed down or merged into Internet cafés. The use of Internet cafés for
gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia like , , , ,
and the . In some countries, since practically all LAN gaming centers also offer Internet access, the terms net cafe and LAN gaming center have become interchangeable. Again, this shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software, especially since games often require high end and expensive PCs.
There are also , Internet access points in
halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing.
Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the conveni this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a web browser that uses the in-room television set for its display (usually in this case the hotel provides a wireless keyboard on the assumption that the guest will use it from the bed), or computer(s) that guests can use, either in the lobby or in a business center. As with telephone service, in the US most mid-price hotels offer Internet access from a computer in the lobby to registered guests without charging an additional fee, while fancier hotels are more likely to charge for the use of a computer in their "business center."
For those traveling by road in North America, many
have Internet kiosks, for which a typical charge is around 20 cents per minute.
Internet cafés come in a wide range of styles, reflecting their location, main clientele, and sometimes, the social agenda of the proprietors. In the early days they were important in projecting the image of the Internet as a 'cool' phenomenon.
Internet cafés are a natural evolution of the traditional . Cafés started as places for information exchange, and have always been used as places to read the paper, send postcards home, play traditional or electronic games, chat to friends, find out local information. Cafés have also been in the forefront of promoting new technologies, for example, the car in 1950s California.
As Internet access is in increasing demand, many pubs, bars and cafés have terminals, so the distinction between the Internet café and normal café is eroded. In some, particularly
countries, the number of pure Internet cafés is decreasing since more and more normal cafés offer the same services. However, there are European countries where the total number of publicly accessible terminals is also decreasing. An example of such a country is . The cause of this development is a combination of complicated regulation, relatively high Internet penetration rates, the widespread use of notebooks and PDAs and the relatively high number of . Many pubs, bars and cafés in Germany offer wireless internet, but no terminals since the Internet café regulations do not apply if no terminal is offered. Additionally, the use of Internet cafés for multiplayer gaming is very difficult in Germany since the Internet café regulations and a second type of regulations which was originally established for video arcade centres applies to this kind of Internet cafés. It is, for example, forbidden for people under the age of 18 to enter such an Internet café, although particularly people under 18 are an important group of customers for this type of Internet café.
While most Internet cafés are private businesses many have been set up to help bridge the '', providing computer access and training to those without home access. For example, the UK government has supported the setting up of 6000 telecentres.
In Asia, gaming is very popular at the Internet cafés. This popularity has helped create a strong demand and a sustainable revenue model for most Internet cafés. With growing popularity, there also comes with this a responsibility as well. In fighting for competitive market share, the Internet cafés have started charging less and hence are adopting alternate means to maximize revenue. This includes selling food, beverages, game and telephone cards to its patrons.
A variation of the internet café known as a "" became widespread in certain regions of the United States by 2010, which offer entries in a contest to customers who purchase internet usage. The result of the customers' entries are revealed using software installed on the computer terminals, which may simulate the appearance and operation of casino games such as a . Although meant to resemble it, these sweepstakes and software are designed in such a way that they could legally be considered
rather than . They have proeSweepstakes parlors have faced scrutiny by local governments, who have argued that despite arguments claiming otherwise, sweepstakes parlors are a form of illegal gambling, and their patrons are more interested in playing the sweepstakes than actually using their purchased internet time. A large number of these locations have faced raids by officials, while a number of states have enacted laws meant to ban them.
A notice about anti-terrorism related ID requirements on the door of an Italian Internet café. (Florence, May 2006)
In 2003 the
chain was found liable for copyright infringement occurring when customers used its
service to burn illegally downloaded music.
In 2005 Italy began requiring entities such as Internet cafés to collect photocopies of the passports of Internet, phone, or fax-using customers as a result of anti-terrorism legislation passed in July of that year.
In Brazil, the initial concept brought by Monkey Paulista was based on the business model used by Internet cafés in South Korea, since this was the first house LAN to exist in Brazil, inaugurated in S?o Paulo, starting its activities in 1998. The company closed in 2010. However, just a week later for reasons of bureaucracy, the company Lan Game @ The House was opened and today is the first LAN house of Brazil in activity. Today it is seen as the country as a way to test new technologies and demonstration of games and products.
This section does not
any . Please help improve this section by . Unsourced material may be challenged and . (December 2010)
According to the "Survey of China Internet Café Industry" by the
in 2005, Mainland China has 110,000 Internet cafés, with more than 1,000,000 employees contributing 18,500,000,000
to P.R. China's GDP. More than 70% of Internet café visitors are from 18 to 30 years old. 90% are male, 65% are unmarried, and 54% hold a university degree. More than 70% of visitors play computer games. 20% of China's Internet users go to Internet cafés.
Internet cafes allow individuals to go about the Internet anonymous, faster, and cheaper than at home. Large Internet cafes of major cities in China are expensive and heavily regulated by Government officials. Large Internet cafes are used by wealthy elite for business transactions and social gatherings. The majority of Internet cafes are small privately owned cafes comprising 90% of the market. (China Tightening Control, 2003) The majority of Internet cafes are unregistered because they do not meet the requirements of government standards or they do not want to go through the lengthy process of registering. According to Hong and Huang only 200 out of 2,400 cafes are registered in Beijing. The Chinese government is cracking down on the number of unregistered Internet cafes because some users spread propaganda, slander, allow pornography, and allow underage users. Crack downs by Chinese Government Officials banned 17,488 Internet Cafes in 2002 and another 27,000 were banned in 2003. (j. Hong, L. Huang) Internet cafes that are getting closed are being replaced with government approved businesses. These pre-approved businesses monitor patrons’ activities and help the government crackdown on offending users. (Xiao, 2003; Qiu 2003) If the Chinese government continues to screen Internet content, then the transition to a more Democratic nation will be very slow.
Milestones:
Before 1995 – An Internet café called 3C+T appeared in Shanghai, probably the first in China. The price was 20
per hour ($2.50 per hour)
– China's Internet cafés proliferate. Playing unconnected games is the main purpose of café users. The average price was 15~20 yuan per hour.
After 2002 – Heavy censorships were imposed, including real-name registration. At the end of 2004, more than 70,000 Internet cafés were closed in a nationwide campaign.
2008 – Microsoft attempts to make Internet cafés profitable in Asia and other emerging markets. After discussions with the governments of these countries, it helps to establish safe Internet cafés.
According to APWKomitel (Association of Community Internet Center) there are 5,000 Internet cafés in urban Indonesian cities in 2006 providing computer/printer/scanner rental, training, PC gaming and Internet access/rental to the people who do not have PC or Internet access at home. The website also contains a directory listing some of these warnet//gamecenter in Indonesia. In urban areas, the generic name is
(or warung internet) and in rural areas the generic name is telecenter. Warnets/netcafes are usually owned by private SME as bottom-up initiatives, while telecenters in rural villages are usually initiated by government and donors as top-down financing. Information on netcafe/warnet in Indonesia can also be found in a book titled: Connected for Development:Indonesian Case study.
Currently, no special license is required to operate an Internet café or warnet in Indonesia, except for the ordinary business license also applied to cafe or small shop. Because of hype and many Internet café starting their business without proper planning, some of them closed down for lack of a business plan. Although the number is still growing, associations such as APWKomitel urge new Internet café owners to do a feasibility study before planning to open an Internet café, and provide a business model called multipurpose community Internet center or "MCI Center" to make the business more sustainable and competitive. Hourly usage rate varies between Rp
($ 0,27 - 1,60)
Japan has a strong Internet cafe culture, with most serving a dual purpose as joint Internet-. Most chains (like Media Cafe Popeye and Jiyū Kūkan) allow offer customers a variety of seating options, including normal chair, massage chair, couch, and flat mat. Customers are then typically given unlimited access to soft drinks, , magazines, Internet, online video games, and online pornography. Most offer food and shower services for an additional fee. In fact, many purchase "night packs" and shower/sleep in the cafes, giving rise to a phenomenon known as "" or "net cafe homeless".
In , Internet cafés are popular among teenagers who enjoy gaming. An Internet café is also known as a cybercafe. Some Internet cafés in Malaysia combine the characteristics of a F&B café and an Internet café.[]
An Internet café in Angeles City, Philippines.
In the , Internet cafés or better known as computer shops are found on every street in major cities and there is at least one in most municipalities or towns. There are also Internet cafés in coffee shops and malls. High-end restaurants and fast food chains also provide free broadband to diners. Rates range from P10 ($0.20) on streets, up to P100 ($2) in malls.
In some major cities with existing ordinances regulating Internet cafés (e.g. Valenzuela, Marikina, Davao, Lapu-lapu and Zamboanga), students who are below 18 years old are prohibited from playing computer games during regular class hours. Depending on the city, regulations varies on their exact details and implementation. Such city ordinances usually also requires Internet café owners to:
Install filtering software to block adult oriented sites
Prohibit the sales of intoxicating drinks and cigarettes inside their establishment
Allow open view of rented computers (i.e. no closed cubicles)
Front wall panel is 50% transparent to allow a clear view of the interior of the establishment
Adequate lighting both inside and outside of the establishment to allow a clear view of the interior at all times
Main article:
In , Internet cafés are called . They are ubiquitous in South Korean cities, numbering over 20,000. PC bangs mostly cater to online game playing for the younger generation. On average and mode, use of a PC bang computer is priced at around 1,000
per hour (about $0.88 ).
In , many people go to Internet cafés. The Internet café in traditional Chinese is "網咖" (Wǎng kā). The first character means "net" and the second character is the first syllable of "café."The rate mainly NT$10~20 in most area, but $35 an hour is charged in the East District of Taipei City
An Internet café in Mombasa, Kenya, combined with other services.
In , many people go to Internet cafés for $0.25 an hour, as it is very cheap for them. Internet café in Vietnamese is "Quán Nét" or "Ti?m Nét". 'Quán', 'Ti?m' mean "store" and 'Nét' means 'Net' (Internet).
Reputedly, the first
cybercafe was the
in New York City’s diamond district, opened in the spring of 1997.
In , Internet cafés are used by traveling people and business is declining since the arrival of widespread mobile Internet usage. A set of other services are also offered, such as printing of documents or webpages. Operators also help computer illiterates through some government processes (as a part of e-governance in India ). Low speed of mobile Internet and these services offered by Internet cafés help its survival. In India a positive government ID is compulsory for every cafe users in most states.
Cybercafes are prevalent in the city of Mombasa, as poverty and unreliable infrastructure do not make personal Internet a viable option for many citizens. The cafes are often combined with a variety of other businesses, such as chemists, manicurists, repair shops, and convenience stores. Video gaming has become particularly profitable in cybercafes in Kenya in recent years.
. Eng.i-museum.or.kr. .
. Sfnet.org.
Paul Mulvey (). .
(Australia). Archived from
Lewis, Peter H. (). . The New York Times.
. Archived from
Eder, Steve (August 22, 2012). . Wall Street Journal 2013.
Gillette, Felix (April 21, 2011). . Bloomberg Businessweek 2013.
Tim Richardson (28 Jan 2003). .
Sofia Celeste (October 4, 2005). .
. Apwkomitel.org.
. Apwkomitel.
August 9, 2007 at the
. wsis-online.org.
WSIS Webmaster. . Itu.int.
. news.bbc.co.uk (BBC). 21 March .
. iCafeProject. .
In , "" (: ?; : 房) means "room", so the term literally means PC room.
Taylor, Chris (). . CNN.
Chen, David W. (February 20, 2997). .
(New York: Sociology 265 - Religion, Culture and Society) 2013.
. . February 16, .
Gardiner, Beth (March 23, 1997).
(PDF) 2013.
Chen, David W. (February 13, 1997). .
(New York) 2013.
China Tightening Control Over Internet Cafes, 2003. Reuters, June 10.
Hong, J. and L. Huang (2005). "A split and swaying approach to building information society: The case of Internet cafes in China." Telematics and Informatics 22(4): 377-393.
John Flinn (1991). "High-Tech Small Talk at City's cafes", , Front Page.
Katherine Bishop (1992). "The Electronic Coffeehouse", New York Times.
John Boudreau (1993). "A Cuppa and a Computer", , Front Page.
Marian Salzman (1995). "SFnet Leads Cyber Revolution", San Francisco Examiner.
, Press Archive.
 PDF (202 KB)
Xiao, Q., 2003. China’s Internet Revolution. USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
: Hidden categories:Home - Koehler Cyber Cafe, Inc.
Let’s Keep It Simple
But of course, it doesn’t stop there. We understand better than anyone, that in the end, it’s all about your business. So we always keep it simple.
Share this:
Send to Email Address
Your Email Address
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.