[kictanet] Sasanet

Wed Feb 21 03:10:11 EAT 2007

Perhaps there is more than meets the eye considering their site seems to be
up and running per a visual inspection ? Is there more behind the scenes
that might not be obvious ?

On 2/19/07, Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Wouldn't you be curious to find out a very popular free internet-based
> www.sasanet.co.ke is now no longer working? I wonder why?
>
> /Alex
>
> *Mike Theuri <mike.theuri at gmail.com>* wrote:
>
> Alex,
>
> Thank you for sharing the blog on the anti-consumer setting in the
> country. The blog has very useful information that is not being shared with
> Kenyan consumers and it is key that consumer rights are upheld. Your blog
> out to be brought to more attention of key stakeholders in ICT and to
> consumers alike.
>
> Yes, the Ministry and CCK are best placed to authoritatively comment on
> such an issue. However I believe that what AT&T is discontinuing is the
> ability to use a "call back" number from Kenya to the US. It is very likely
> that the call back numbers which are 0800 numbers are no longer profitable
> for AT&T especially given that they cost as high as $3/min. Technically they
> are supposed to be cheaper to use than if one was to "call back" the US
> direct from any other country be it Kenya or the UK. However with AT&T's
> rate to call the US from Kenya as high as it is and with local providers
> beating their tariffs they may have opted to drop this service. What this
> might do, is it might leave AT&T US based customers unable to call the US
> using their AT&T calling cards for what would otherwise be exorbitant
> prices.
>
> The wording of the AT&T notice on the lack of no future support for calls
> originating from Kenya wasn't very clear and after some digging around it
> appears that it referred to users of AT&T who utilize call back services
> while traveling overseas, it might just be due to stiff competition now that
> VOIP has been deregulated and tariffs have fallen (though not low enough)
> and that no one in their right mind would be willing to pay $3+ per minute
> for a call to the US when for a extremely small fraction one could make the
> same phone call at a lower rate.
>
> Even then the tariffs in general are not fair enough for Kenyan consumers
> and it is an uphill battle to enforce changes when some of the largest tax
> payers happen to be communication providers. It is unthinkable that the
> government would do much to jeopardize a large and steady tax revenue stream
> to save the honorable consumer. Increasingly huge profits in a formerly
> depressed and now recovering economy like ours raise the question whether
> the consumer is getting a fair deal. It is akin to oil companies making
> several times over some nations GDP in profits and claiming that they are
> struggling themselves and offering the best prices possible. Price
> regulation in the industry is something that should be looked into to
> further to try and strike a fair balance between consumers needs and
> investors return on equity.
>
> Mike
>
> On 2/18/07, Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Mike:
> >
> > Although this is a consumer issue, you may notice we have quite some
> > domestic wars with the prevailing anti-consumer setting,
> > http://ictconsumer.blogspot.com/ for example.
> >
> > By engaging foreign networks, I am afraid the ICT Consumers Association
> > of Kenya could be considered acting ultra vires thus the Ministry of
> > Information and Communications, CCK, and perhaps also Foreign Affairs are
> > best suited to comment.
> >
> > Would a provocative question, like "why has a private US telco
> > unilaterally cut-off communication from Kenya to the US jeopardizing both a
> > basic human right and the national outsourcing strategy" earn a quick
> > response from government?
> >
> > rgds,
> >
> > Alex
> >
> > *Mike Theuri <mike.theuri at gmail.com>* wrote:
> >
> > As an after thought, this may mean calls dialed through this number
> > which by itself is a very expensive option and which may reflect the effects
> > of voip and lowered costs of international calls:
> >
> > Kenya 0-800-2201-15 (608)
> >
> > On 2/18/07, Mike Theuri <mike.theuri at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Does anyone know why the below might be the case ? AT&T printed this
> > > in small print on bills sent to customer in January. Considering
> > > that AT&T is the largest telco in the US this is a serious issue :
> > >
> > > International Call Origination:
> > > Effective March 1, 2007, our International Call
> > > Origination service will change. Current access
> > > numbers for calls originating internationally
> > > will change. Please visit att.com/dialing-guide
> > > to print the new dialing-guide for your reference;
> > > or call the number on your bill to order a new
> > > dialing guide. Calls from Kenya to US will
> > > no longer be supported. International to
> > > international calling from St. Martin will no
> > > longer be supported. Also, International
> > > service will be expanded to over 60 additional
> > > countries. To find out rates and countries where
> > > we provide service, please visit
> > > att.com/intl-rates.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > kictanet mailing list
> > kictanet at kictanet.or.ke
> > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> >
> > Please unsubscribe or change your options at
> > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > The fish are biting.
> >  Get more visitors<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49679/*http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php?o=US2140&cmp=Yahoo&ctv=Q107Tagline&s=Y&s2=EM&b=50>on your site using Yahoo!
> > Search Marketing.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > kictanet mailing list
> > kictanet at kictanet.or.ke
> > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> >
> > Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mike.theuri%40gmail.com
> >
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at kictanet.or.ke
> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> Please unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
> Sucker-punch spam with award-winning protection.
> Try the free Yahoo! Mail Beta.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at kictanet.or.ke
> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> Please unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mike.theuri%40gmail.com
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20070220/ab01f577/attachment.htm>