According to Wikipedia, an Internet café (sometimes referred to as a cyber café) is a café or coffee shop that offers reliable and fast Internet access. The cost of using a computer at a cafe is often calculated on a per-minute, hourly, or monthly subscription basis. For a price, Internet cafés provide the public with PCs with a high-speed Internet connection. In addition to other services, an Internet cafe will usually sell coffee, energy drinks, espresso ice coffee, and small food items.

Other than accessing the internet, Internet Cafes are also used by people to chat with their friends, play online games (recently gained popularity), or working.

In the 1990s and early 200os, finding a place with fast and reliable internet access wasn’t easy. More often than not, universities or businesses were the only places to find good download speeds. In the days of dial-up access using home telephone lines, staying online for long periods of time could be challenging in homes with families. You could either use the phone line for internet access or receiving telephone calls.

Working at a cyber cafe.

It’s almost comical to look back on those limitations now that fast Wifi internet access is available in most homes. But this was the main reason these cyber cafes became popular. With no fast at-home alternatives to get fast internet access, including no free access at Starbucks or other coffee shops, it led to a brief moment in time when the Internet cafe became a mainstream business.

Internet cafes have scanners, printers, and related computer peripherals which customers can use sort of like a remote office. Internet cafes usually have powerful computers and are well-suited to PC gamers.

Don’t count out the Internet cafe as a business model just yet though. Some think we are on the verge of a resurgence of demand for this service with the rise of eSports and multi-player competitive gaming. Find out the pros, cons, and what’s next for this business below.

What Are The Advantages Of A Cyber Cafe?

There are still advantages to using a cyber cafe though. Average internet speeds at cyber cafes are better than the ones we got at home and will usually go beyond 100 MBPS. Higher internet speeds and better connection infrastructure cuts down the instances of lag and connection interruptions.

Internet connections at home will be slower due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes ISPs slow down speeds to maintain the reliability of their network. After all, a lot of consumers need to share the same internet cable. This also helps keep the costs lower for ISPs too. The infrastructure at your home or location may not be ideal for the fastest speeds either.

An Internet café can also give opportunities for both computers and internet availability to the local community in nations where internet or computer access is scarce. Internet cafes offer considerably cheaper internet than any of the other options available in most countries.

Online gaming is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Cyber Cafe?

Where there are advantages, there are disadvantages to visiting a cyber cafe. You may not be aware but there are certain possible risks in using computers in a cyber cafe.

Privacy

One possibility is the risk of personal data security. Most local Wi-Fi networks are unprotected, which implies that others might possibly obtain data on your computer. Since you are using a public network, you may be prone to personal data breach as everything you enter into their computers like usernames and passwords, may be stored in their network.

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Anyone could gain access to your email or other important accounts in the event you fail to log out of a communal workstation. A person sitting next to you in a cyber cafe may simply peek over your shoulder and get personal information from you. For sensitive or work-related information, internet cafés or public terminals are not appropriate.

Convenience

Most Cyber cafes do not provide the same level of comfort as your own home. The café may be packed, smelly, or have unpleasant seating, making it impossible to spend hours there. The majority of Internet cafes in the Western hemisphere are also not open 24/7, thus reducing time for business or enjoyment. Downloading may also be limited in order to conserve bandwidth.

Most Internet cafes operate kind of like a coffee shop.

Scams

Everyone has seen email scams that start at Cyber cafes, where it’s practically hard to track down the perpetrator after their session has ended. Cyber cafes in countries outside of the United States are hotbeds for Nigerian money-wiring scams and other international fraud. There are even reports that criminals are settling in the United States and utilizing the cyber café as a cover for their criminal activity.

What Do You Need To Operate An Internet Cafe?

For a significant period of time, there has been a growing need for a provider that offers the general population with a PC and Internet connection for a fee. The big chunk of the business owners in this industry are males between the ages of 22 and 50 with a basic understanding of computers but are not system administrators.

Cybercafés come in many different styles and can be highly profitable depending on the region, target audience, and social objective of the proprietors. Other than your business plan, you may need to jot down certain suppliers, providers, system tools to help you set up your internet cafe. You also have to consider preparing for the following items:

  • Site location (rent or buy or build)
  • Remodeling and improving the space
  • Furniture provisioning (chairs, sofas, tables, bean bag chairs) and other equipment (vending machines, coffee machines, etc.)
  • Insurance
  • PC as well as other equipment suppliers