[Kictanet] FW: Interesting and provocative essay on EASSy

[Alex Gakuru]

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Provoking Indeed!

 

Alden’s two articles are peculiar, provoking, and perhaps shallow to an otherwise sure prosperity EASSy big step, as clearly summarised in the article’s first paragraph. While NEPAD[1] and EU are negotiating[2] financing of the project, the author claims, “African governments and World Bank that are being asked to help finance another 
 this one is called
 etc”

 

In real terms (and for conceptualisation purpose), the cited US$ 200 million is far short of the estimated US$ 213 million Kenya alone spends annually educating her children abroad, mainly in the UK, and yet this US$ 200m is the cost for the entire EASSy cable from South Africa upwards to southern Sudan. The author even gets emotive in trying too hard to discredit the project. Please give Africa credit sometimes!

 

The “parastatial telecommunication bureaucracies” is distasteful since parastatals such as Safaricom Limited in Kenya are extremely profitable and other investors should explore similar partnerships with the various EASSy governments? 


---------------------------------

[1] NEPAD is the Political and Economic arm of the African Union, politics and economics being inseparable.


[2] URL http://www.connectivityafrica.ca/HTML/PAREN_investment_report_final.pdf pp. 67



.

 
PS: I have attached my short reaction 
 
Alex
 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From:   vkyalo 
  To: 'Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet' 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 8:05   AM
  Subject: [Kictanet] FW: Interesting and   provocative essay on EASSy
  

    
Good read regarding   EASSy,
  
 
      
---------------------------------
  
  
From: Jim   Forster [mailto:forster at cisco.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 7:07   PM
To: vkyalo
Cc: David Ochanda
Subject: Re: Interesting and provocative   essay on EASSy

  
 
  
Hello Victor,
    
 

    
Nice to meet you.   I've been following and   starting to participate in some issues and activities in networking in   Africa.    I heard of this essay by   Roland Alden and forwarded it to people that I know that I thought might be   interested.   I don't have any particular discussion group for it;   I'm sure you're involved in discussion groups that might be interested in   this, so go ahead and forward it and discuss it as you see fit.   I   did see a reference to Richard Bell's article on a Kictanet archive.     I hadn't known about Kictanet; those people might be interested in the   essay.

    
 

    
In September Richard Bell, the founder of Kenya Data   Network, wrote a brief about EASSy, the proposed East African undersea   fiber optic cable, which was critical of the planned financial   structure.  Now Roland Alden, a telecommunications consultant,    has written a very interesting and provocative essay on EASSy as well.    Here's the opening paragraph:

    
 

    
Just say No to   EASSy

  
 
    
by Roland H.   Alden

  
 
    
African governments and global   institutions like the World Bank are being asked to help finance another   telecommunications project. This one is called EASSy (East   African Submarine Cable System). While more and cheaper telecommunications is   surely needed all across Africa , East   African citizens would do well to ask their governments to take a step back   from EASSy and find better ways to sponsor telecommunications projects that   will result in real progress. As it stands today, EASSy could become a giant   step backwards for Africa; and, with a US$200 million price tag, it has the   potential of being an economic disaster Africa can   ill-afford.

    
 

    
I encourage you to read the rest of the essay   at http://www.ralden.com/C1/EASSy and   would welcome your thoughts on this very important   issue.

    
 

    
 

    
Thanks,

    
 

    
  -- Jim   Forster

    
 

    
      Distinguished   Engineer

    
      Cisco   Systems

    
      San Jose, CA.



  
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