EUTA

EUTA is an NGO founded by telecottage[1] associations of 7 European countries, located in Budaors,

Hungary

. The organization is open for other countrywide associations as well.

EUTA is giving services using capabilities and expertise of networks of the founder organizations (around 1000 telecottages)

The organization is led by the elected president, - Matyas Gaspar – who is the founder of the first Hungarian telecottage (in 1994), previous president and organizer of the Hungarian Telecottage Association (in 1995), member of the board of the International Association of Community TeleService Centers (CTSC).

EUTA is working together with the UNDP, which has expressed its intention to cooperate in the field of sharing the international telecottage experiences.

The Telecottage World Conference - Connected for Development Information Kiosks and Sustainability - organized by the Digital Partners in Baramati,

India

, welcomed the European imitative and encouraged the participants to create similar regional organizations in other parts of the world.

Starting from Europe, make widely known and accepted in as many countries as possible that the telecottage based community access and service system is an important and essential element in the development of local societies, economies, and of the countryside; especially regarding underdeveloped regions, communities and groups.

Create and operate the international information and communication system of telecottages. Organize a professional group; publish documents, recommendations and give professional services to help national telecottage training, quality assurance and other development initiatives.

Organize international support programs for underdeveloped regions, communities and groups. Lobby for national support and programs for certain countries. Find out, spread and support the introduction of cost-efficient solutions.

[1] Telecottage:

Telecottage is a community access point with a wide range of office and info communication services supported by (IS-mentors), the workers of the telecottage. The telecottage is a member of a network, giving standard portfolio of services, and even more according to needs of the local community.

IS-mentor:

IS-mentor – information society mentor - is the service provider, helping to use the assets of the telecottages, and the services accessible by the internet in the given places.

[2] Community access point:

Community access points can be very different by the owner, host, and service provider, but there is a common point, the place has to be open to the public to get services free, or by affordable price. Most of cases there is somebody helping to learn and use services.