This article presents findings from a multinational study into the impacts of public access ICTs. It identifies types of social and economic impacts, areas of impact, and the populations that experience these impacts. Even though mobile phones are now broadly available throughout the developing world, results indicate that venues such as cyber cafes and public libraries constitute the only computer and Internet access option for many. They are also where a majority of users had their first contact with computers or the Internet. The proportion of public venue users was even higher among lower socioeconomic groups and female populations
