Cybercafes, also called Internet cafes, are places where people can pay by the minute to access the Internet. By combining two modern essentials, coffee and the Internet, cybercafes have merged the need for public computer access with the age-old practice of meeting socially in cafes. At a cybercafe, people can meet to chat with friends in the room or sip beverages at a terminal while chatting with friends long-distance over the Internet.

Cyberia, one of the oldest Internet cafe's in existence, is located in London. It was one of the first to coin the term "cybercafe." In the early 1990s fewer than 100 cybercafes existed, but that number quickly grew to an estimated 1,500 worldwide by 1997. By 2001 there were an estimated 3,400 cybercafes in 160 countries. They have proved popular with a wide range of patrons, including vacationers accessing e-mail, travelers using online banking services, students creating class...