International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDIC7), 2009; Vol. 5(2) :68-87The objective of this study was to examine use patterns, challenges and way forward for effective beneficial use oftelecenters in Tanzania. The study covered the following four telecenters, namely Kilosa, Mpwapwa, Kasulu and FADECO ( Family Alliance for Development and Co-operation) telecenters. It was found that the studied telecenters in Tanzania are still at infancy and most do not offer adequate information to communities living in rural areas. Most are still faced with a number of challenges that make it difficult to meet people's expectations. It was concluded that so as to meet their objectives, telecenters should provide information relevant to people's needs, different formats should be used to present information as people have different information searching skills. Moreover; telecenter catchment area is an important factor in building an information rich society.