Editing Internet café (section)

==By country==

=== Australia ===
Netcafe opened in St Kilda at the Deluxe Café on April 4, 1995, inspired by the Internet café phenomenon that was going on in Seattle. As Australia's first Internet café, founders included Gavin Murray, [[Rita Arrigo]] and [[Christopher Beaumont]]. Direct from London's Cyberia they were joined by Kathryn Phelps and partnerships with Adam Goudie of Standard Computers for hardware and Michael Bethune from Australia Online, Australia's first ISP for of course their Internet access. In 1995 it was delivered via a standard analogue phone line using a 9600-Baud US Robotics Modem. Cafe.on.net also opened on Rundle Street in Adelaide in 1995, with the support of Internode's Simon Hackett. The Cafe was founded by John Ruciak, and was notable because of its [[Fast Ethernet]] connection.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

=== Brazil ===
In Brazil, the initial concept introduced 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; it was inaugurated in [[São Paulo]], starting its activities in 1995. The company closed in 2010. However, just a week later for reasons of bureaucracy{{clarify|date=November 2023}}, the company Lan Game @ The House<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taglan.blogspot.com/ |title=The @ Game |publisher=Taglan.blogspot.com |date=2011-07-19 |access-date=2012-02-04}}</ref> was opened, and today is the most active LAN house of Brazil. Today it is seen in the country as a way to test new technologies and demonstrate games and other products.

=== China ===
[[File:成都网吧-chengdu-xingkong-internet-bar-parallect-design.jpg|thumb|Internet café in Chengdu, China]]
According to the "Survey of China Internet Café Industry" by the [[Ministry of Culture (People's Republic of China)|People's Republic of China Ministry of Culture]] in 2005, Mainland China had 110,000 Internet cafés, with more than 1,000,000 employees contributing 18,500,000,000 [[Renminbi|yuan]] to mainland 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.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

===India===
In [[India]], Internet cafés used by traveling people and business are 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 Internet café users in most states.

In 2008, there were 180,000 cyber cafes in India but by 2017, it declined to 50,000, one of primary reasons for decline was rules of [[Information Technology Act, 2000|IT Act]], which caused licensing issues and other restrictions.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Singh|first=Harsimran|title=Growth of cyber cafes declining sharply|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/growth-of-cyber-cafes-declining-sharply/articleshow/3233831.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=www.ETtech.com|title=The last cyber cafes of India - ETtech|url=https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/the-last-cyber-cafes-of-india/61208031|access-date=2020-09-11|newspaper=The Economic Times|language=en}}</ref>

=== Indonesia ===
[[File:Warnet Aqila brothers'Net - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Internet café in [[Riau]], Indonesia]]
According to APWKomitel<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apwkomitel.org/ |title=Home of APWKOMITEL |publisher=Apwkomitel.org |access-date=2012-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126184026/http://www.apwkomitel.org/ |archive-date=2012-01-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (Association of Community Internet Center), there were 5,000 Internet cafés in urban Indonesian cities in 2006 providing computer/printer/scanner rentals, training, PC gaming and Internet access/rental to people without computer or internet access. The website<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apwkomitel.org/sumatra.html |title=Warnet di Sumatra |publisher=Apwkomitel |access-date=2012-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217042055/http://www.apwkomitel.org/sumatra.html |archive-date=2012-02-17 }}</ref> also contains a directory listing some of these warnet/[[telecenter]]/gamecenter in Indonesia.  In urban areas, the generic name is [[:id:Warnet|warnet]] (or ''warung Internet'') and in rural areas the generic name is telecenter. Warnets/netcafes are usually privately owned as bottom-up initiatives, while telecenters in rural villages are typically government or donor-funded as top-down financing. Information on netcafe/warnet in Indonesia can also be found in a book titled: ''Connected for Development: Indonesian Case study''.<ref>[http://www.i4donline.net/ATF/2007/fullpapers/Rudi_ATF07ABS129.pdf]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809173647/http://www.i4donline.net/ATF/2007/fullpapers/Rudi_ATF07ABS129.pdf|date=August 9, 2007}}</ref>

Currently, no special license is required to operate an Internet café or warnet in Indonesia, except for the ordinary business license applicable to cafes or small shops. Because of hype and poor business planning, many net cafes have closed down.  Although the number of Internet cafes are growing, associations such as APWKomitel<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wsis-online.org/smsi/organization/organization-view?group_id=326287 |title=wsis-online.org |publisher=wsis-online.org |access-date=2012-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217042021/http://wsis-online.org/smsi/organization/organization-view?group_id=326287 |archive-date=2012-02-17 }}</ref> 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"<ref>{{cite web|author=WSIS Webmaster |url=http://www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/scripts/documents.asp?project=1143795049&lang=en |title=World Summit on the Information Society |publisher=Itu.int |access-date=2012-02-04}}</ref> to make the business more sustainable and competitive. Hourly usage rate varies between Rp 2500–15000 ($0,27 – 1,60)

===Japan===
Japan has a strong internet café culture, with most serving a dual purpose as joint Internet-[[manga cafe]]s. Most chains (like Media Cafe Popeye and Jiyū Kūkan) 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, [[manga]], 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 "[[net cafe refugee]]s" or "net cafe homeless".<ref>{{cite news |title=Japan homeless living in Internet cafes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7953609.stm |website=news.bbc.co.uk|publisher=BBC|date=21 March 2009|access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref>

===Kenya===
{{see also|Video games in Kenya}}

[[Image:Cyber Cafe in Mombasa, Kenya, Nov 2013.jpg|thumb|250px|right|An Internet café in Mombasa, Kenya, combined with other services.]]
Internet cafés are prevalent in the city of [[Mombasa]], as poverty and unreliable infrastructure do not make a personal internet connection a viable option for many citizens. The cafés 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 internet cafés in Kenya in recent years.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===Philippines===
[[Image:Internet of cebu slums.jpg|thumb|250px|right|An Internet café in Cebu City, Philippines.]]
In the [[Philippines]], internet cafés, also known as '''computer shops''' (often abbreviated to '''comshop'''), are found on almost 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. Occasionally some internet cafés offer gadget repairs, print or photocopying, and other services. Rates range from P10 (US$0.20) per hour or less, depending on PC specifications) on streets, and up to P100 ($2) per hour 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 of age are prohibited from playing computer games during regular class hours. Depending on the city, regulations vary in their exact details and implementation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icafeproject.com/internet-cafe-city-ordinance/ |title=Internet Cafe City Ordinance - Philippines |publisher=iCafeProject |date=2012-06-19 |access-date=2012-06-20}}</ref> Such city ordinances usually also require internet café owners to:
* Install filtering software to block adult oriented sites
* Prohibit the sales of alcoholic drinks and cigarettes inside their establishment
* Allow open view of rented computers (i.e. no closed cubicles)
* Provide a 50% transparent front wall panel, to allow a clear view of the interior of the establishment
* Provide adequate lighting both inside and outside of the establishment to allow a clear view of the interior at all times
* Sometimes install a [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] for increased security
* [[loitering]] and being in the state of undress is not allowed at all times
* In some occasions, brawling and [[Trash talk|trashtalking]] is strictly prohibited when it comes to [[Defense of the Ancients|online game]] matches

===Poland===
[[File:Bielsko-Biała, Partyzantów 23, kafejka internetowa 01.jpg|thumb|An Internet café in [[Bielsko-Biała]], Poland, in 2014]]
The first Internet café in [[Poland]] was opened in 1996. Such establishments soon became very popular among the Polish population, especially young people, who at the time still rarely had access to computers with high-speed Internet at home. They were commonly used to play games like [[Icy Tower]] or [[Counter-Strike]], as well as for instant messaging on the [[Gadu-Gadu]] client. Internet cafés began losing popularity after [[Telekomunikacja Polska]] launched the ADSL ''Neostrada'' service in 2001, providing home Internet access to many Poles, and most establishments were shut down by the 2010s.

=== Slovakia ===
In [[Slovakia]], the first Internet café was opened officially in the city of [[Košice]] on July 17, 1996, providing services such as e-mail, Gopher, News, [[Telnet]], WWW, Talk and others to the general public.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sme.sk/c/2087146/v-kosiciach-oficialne-otvorili-internet-cafe-s-pristupom-do-celosvetovej-pocitacovej-siete.html|title=V Košiciach oficiálne otvorili Internet Café s prístupom do celosvetovej počítačovej siete|last=a.s.|first=Petit Press|work=www.sme.sk|access-date=2018-08-10|language=sk}}</ref>

===South Korea===
{{Main|PC bang}}
In [[South Korea]], Internet cafés are called [[PC bang]]s.<ref>In [[Korean (language)|Korean]], "[[Bang (Korean)|bang]]" ([[Hangul|Hangeul]]: 방; [[Hanja]]: 房) means "room", so the term literally means ''PC room''.</ref> They are ubiquitous in South Korean cities, numbering over 20,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/06/08/technology/business2_futureboy0608/index.htm|title=The future is in South Korea|publisher=CNN|date=2006-06-14|access-date=2007-12-21 | first=Chris | last=Taylor}}</ref> 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 [[South Korean won|won]] per hour (about $0.88 [[United States dollar|USD]]).

===Spain===
In [[Spain]], the first Internet café was opened officially in the city of [[Oviedo]], the capital city of the [[Principality of Asturias]], on December 19, 1995.

===Taiwan===
Internet cafés are{{when|date=July 2023}} omnipresent in [[Taiwan]], and especially concentrated in major cities, namely [[Taipei]] and [[Kaohsiung]].

The Internet café is called a "網咖" (''Wǎng kā'') in traditional Chinese. The first character literally means "net" and the second character is the first syllable of "café."The rate is consistent at about NT$10~20 in the most part, but prominent districts, such as the [[Eastern District of Taipei]], can charge users up to NT$35 per hour. With the growth of [[smartphone]] ownership and free [[Wi-Fi]] networks in all major public attractions, the Internet cafés now primarily cater to gamers, and some even provide food and drinks.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}{{when|date=July 2023}}

===Vietnam===
In [[Vietnam]], almost every internet café advertises itself as a game center. Many internet cafés charge a fairly low fee, usually the equivalent of $0.20 – $0.75 an hour. Services such as food and drink are also often available.
"Internet café" in Vietnamese is ''quán net'' or ''tiệm net'' (''quán'' or ''tiệm'' means "store" and ''net'' is "Internet").

===United States===
Reputedly, the first [[kosher]] cybercafe was the [[IDT Cafe]] in New York City's diamond district, opened in the spring of 1997.<ref name=chen>{{cite news |url= http://www.stolaf.edu/people/leming/soc265rel/news/Feb_20.html |title= First, there was the cybercafe. Now, the kosher cybercafe |last1= Chen |first1= David W. |newspaper= [[The New York Times]] |location= New York |date= February 20, 1997 |access-date= 20 June 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120824160058/http://www.stolaf.edu/people/leming/soc265rel/news/Feb_20.html |archive-date= 24 August 2012 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=foodtimeline>{{cite web |url= http://www.foodtimeline.org/internet.html |title= Food Timeline, Food & the Internet |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date= 28 May 2013 |access-date=20 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19970216&id=5MNNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3648,149048 |newspaper=[[Ocala Star-Banner]] |date=February 16, 1997 |title=Kosher cafe makes itself into a cybercafe |access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name=KosherCybercafe>{{cite web |url=http://news2.nnyln.net/plattsburgh-press-republican/plattsburgh-press-republican-1997-march/plattsburgh-press-republican-1997-march%20-%200597.pdf |title=Kosher cybercafe |first1=Beth |last1=Gardiner |date=March 23, 1997 |access-date=June 21, 2013 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/13/nyregion/megabite-anyone-this-cybercafe-is-kosher.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes |title=Food Megabite, Anyone? This Cybercafe Is Kosher |first1=David W. |last1=Chen |date=February 13, 1997 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref>

Internet cafés were prevalent in the 1990s but began to decline in popularity due to the expansion of home-based email and broadband internet access points, as well as the later deployment of [[Wi-Fi]] and [[smartphone]]s. As of 2022, [[LAN gaming center]]s can be found in metropolitan areas in the United States. Gaming centers are not as popular in the U.S. compared to East Asia. Like those in Asia, gaming centers typically offer Internet access, food, and drinks.