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An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café (or a convenience store or a fully dedicated Internet access business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generally charged by the minute or part of hour. An Internet café will generally also offer refreshments or other services such as phone repair. Internet cafés are often hosted within a shop or other establishment. They are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access webmail and instant messaging 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. Internet cafés are a natural evolution of the traditional café. As Internet access rose many pubs, bars, and cafés added terminals and eventually Wi-Fi hotspots, eroding the distinction between the Internet café and normal cafés. In recent years, traditional internet cafés have experienced a significant decline in developed countries due to the widespread availability of personal internet access devices. Conversely, in regions like Southeast Asia, internet cafés have evolved into esports cafés, serving as community hubs for gamers and training grounds for professional players.


Pre-internet online cafés

The early history of public access to online networking sites is largely unwritten and undocumented. Many experiments can lay claim to being precursors to internet cafés. In March 1988, the ' Electronic Café' was opened near Hongik University in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
by Ahn Sang-soo (Professor of Hongik University) and Gum Nu-ri (Professor of
Kookmin University Kookmin University () is a Private university, private research university established in 1946 in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It has historic significance, as it was founded during by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and is ...
). Two 16bit computers connected to Online service networks through telephone lines. Offline meetings were held in the café, which served as a place that connected online and offline activities. In July 1991, the SFnet Coffeehouse Network was opened in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
by Wayne Gregori. Gregori installed coin-operated computer terminals in coffeehouses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The terminals dialed into a 32 line
Bulletin Board System A bulletin board system (BBS), also called a computer bulletin board service (CBBS), is a computer server running list of BBS software, software that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, the user perfor ...
that offered an array of electronic services including FIDOnet mail and, in 1992, Internet mail.


Internet cafés

The concept of a café with full Internet access (and the name ''Cybercafé'') was invented in early 1994 by Ivan Pope. Commissioned to develop an Internet event for an arts weekend at the
Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...
(ICA) in London, and inspired by the SFnet terminal based cafés, Pope wrote a proposal outlining the concept of a café with Internet access. For the event Seduced and Abandoned: The Body in the Virtual World. Over the weekend of March 12–13 in the theatre at the ICA, Pope ran a Cybercafé which consisted of multiple Apple Mac computers on café style tables with menus of available services. In June 1994, The Binary Café, Canada's first Internet café, opened in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, according to ''Security and Software for Cybercafés''. Inspired partly by the ICA event and associated with an
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
provider startup, EasyNet, in the same building, a commercial Internet café called Cyberia opened on September 1, 1994, in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. ''ArtsEmerson'' credits it as London's first cybercafé, although it also claims it opened before The Binary Café. The first public, commercial American Internet café was conceived and opened by Jeff Anderson and Alan Weinkrantz in August 1994, at Infomart in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, and was called The High Tech Cafe. A bar called ''CompuCafé'' was established in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
in September 1993 and relocated to larger premises in October 1994 featuring both Internet access and a robotic beer seller. In January 1995, the CB1 Café in Cambridge installed an Internet connection. It was the longest running Internet Café in the UK, ultimately closing down in 2015. The Scottish Bar in French-speaking Switzerland was started on June 27, 1995 by Pierre Hemmer. In June 1995, three Internet cafés opened in the East Village neighborhood of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
: Internet Cafe, opened by Arthur Perley, the @Cafe, and the Heroic Sandwich. In 1996, the Internet café Surf City opened in downtown
Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
. Since early 2010s, the rising popularity of
smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
s, due to improved hardware and faster internet connectivity ( LTE and 5G NR), started having a major economic impact on internet cafés. It has been estimated that the number of internet cafés in South Korea dropped 17% from 19,000 in 2010 to 15,800 in 2012, and internet cafés in developing countries were struggling to grow. In China, a 2011 government report stated that 130,000 internet cafés had closed down over the previous six years, due to tightening regulations, which brought the number down to 144,000. One industry consultant estimated the number had reached 136,000 in 2012. In some locations, however, internet cafés continued to be used for reasons ranging from evading gambling regulations to building communities of language learners. As of 2021, internet cafés are still operating in South Korea for online gaming. In September 2024 the National Communication Museum in Melbourne opened, featuring a Cyber Cafe. It was developed with Rita Arrigo, who opened Australia's first internet cafè in 1995.


Characteristics

While most Internet cafés are private businesses many have been set up to help bridge the ' digital divide', providing computer access and training to those without home access. There are also Internet kiosks, Internet access points in public places like public libraries,
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing. Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the convenience of their guests; this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a
web browser A web browser, often shortened to browser, is an application for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's scr ...
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 truck stops 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. A variation on the Internet café
business model A business model describes how a Company, business organization creates, delivers, and captures value creation, value,''Business Model Generation'', Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Alan Smith, and 470 practitioners from 45 countries, self-pub ...
is the LAN gaming center, used for multiplayer gaming. These cafés have several computer stations connected to a LAN. The connected computers are custom-assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer games. This is reducing the need for video arcades and
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
s, many of which are being closed down or merged into Internet cafés. The use of Internet cafés for multiplayer gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia like
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, the mainland of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
and the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. In some countries, since practically all LAN gaming centers also offer Internet access, the terms net café 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. Gaming is extremely popular at internet cafés in Asia, which has helped create strong demand and a sustainable business model for most cafés. However, with this growing popularity also comes more responsibility. To compete for market share, internet cafés have started charging less and have turned to alternate ways to maximize revenue. This includes selling food, drinks, game cards, and phone cards to patrons.


Legal issues

In 2003 the EasyInternetcafé chain was found liable for copyright infringement occurring when customers used its CD-burning service to burn illegally downloaded music to their own CDs. 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. By 2010, a variation of the Internet café known as a " sweepstakes parlor" had become widespread in certain regions of the United States. These facilities offered entries in a contest to customers who purchase Internet usage. Sweepstakes parlors faced scrutiny by local governments, who argued that sweepstakes parlors are a form of illegal gambling. A large number of these locations faced raids by officials, while a number of states enacted laws to ban them. There are European countries where the total number of publicly accessible terminals is also decreasing. An example of such a country is
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. The cause of this development is a combination of complicated regulation, relatively high Internet penetration rates, the widespread use of notebooks, tablets, and smartphones and the relatively high number of wireless internet hotspots. 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.


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, alongside partnerships with Adam Goudie of Standard Computers for hardware and Michael Bethune from Australia Online as their
internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...
. In 1995, internet services were 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, founded by John Ruciak and with the support of Internode's Simon Hackett.


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 São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, starting its activities in 1995. 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 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

According to the "Survey of China Internet Café Industry" by the 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 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.


India

In
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, 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 IT Act, which caused licensing issues and other restrictions.


Indonesia

According to APWKomitel (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 also contains a directory listing some of these warnet/
telecenter A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...
/gamecenter in Indonesia. In urban areas, the generic name is 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''. 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 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 2500–15000 ($0,27 – 1,60)


Japan

Japan has a strong internet café culture, with most serving a dual purpose as joint Internet- manga cafes. 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 are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
, 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 refugees" or "net cafe homeless".


Kenya

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.. In December 2024, the Communications Authority proposed reclassifying internet cafes as their own license category, distinct from Public Communication Access Centres (PCACs). This proposal included stricter record keeping of user activity.


Philippines

In the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, 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 Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...
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. 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 CCTV for increased security * loitering and being in the state of undress is not allowed at all times * In some occasions, brawling and trashtalking is strictly prohibited when it comes to online game matches


Poland

The first Internet café in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
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 Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, the first Internet café was opened officially in the city of
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
on July 17, 1996, providing services such as e-mail, Gopher, News, Telnet, WWW, Talk and others to the general public.


South Korea

In
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, Internet cafés are called PC bangs. 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 won per hour (about $0.88 USD).


Spain

In
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, the first Internet café was opened officially in the city of
Oviedo Oviedo () or Uviéu (Asturian language, Asturian: ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains th ...
, the capital city of the Principality of Asturias, on December 19, 1995.


Taiwan

Internet cafés are omnipresent in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, and especially concentrated in major cities, namely
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
and
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
. 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 A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
ownership and free
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
networks in all major public attractions, the Internet cafés now primarily cater to gamers, and some even provide food and drinks.


Vietnam

In
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, 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. 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 Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
and
smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
s. As of 2022, LAN gaming centers 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.


Trends & Evolution (2020s–2025)

Post-pandemic Changes: The article lacks discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath affected internet cafés globally—closures, adaptations, or pivots to new business models. Hybrid and Co-working Models: The rise of hybrid spaces combining internet cafés with co-working, creative studios, or makerspaces is not covered. Remote Work & Digital Nomads: There’s little mention of how internet cafés now cater to remote workers, freelancers, and digital nomads, especially in tourist hotspots.


In popular culture

Films such as '' The Beach'' and '' The Proposal'' feature an Internet café as a primary setting for significant plot development. In Marvel Studios' '' Captain Marvel'', the main character enters an internet café where she looks up clues to her past.


See also

* Capsule hotel * Kiosk software * Public computer * Public internet booths * Software bundled discounts


Notes


References

* China Tightening Control Over Internet Cafes, 2003. Reuters, June 10. * Hong, J. and L. Huang (2006). "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", '' The San Francisco Examiner'', Front Page. * Katherine Bishop (1992). "The Electronic Coffeehouse", ''New York Times''. * John Boudreau (1993). "A Cuppa and a Computer", ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', Front Page. * Marian Salzman (1995). "SFnet Leads Cyber Revolution", ''San Francisco Examiner''.
SFnet.org
, Press Archive. *   * *

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060113050449/http://www.unicttaskforce.org/perl/documents.pl?id=1361 Connected for development-Information Kiosks & Sustainability - UN ICT TaskForce Series 4
ITU 'Global Indicators Workshop on Community Access to ICTs' di Mexico City, 16-19 November 2004


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100418181154/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1189662.htm report on Yahoo's best cafes, 2004.* Xiao, Q., 2003. China's Internet Revolution. USC Annenberg Online Journalism Review.


Further reading

*


External links


World of Internet Cafes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Internet cafe Types of coffeehouses and cafés South Korean inventions Coffee culture Hotel types