[kictanet] AT&T to no longer support calls originating from Keny

[Mike Theuri]

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.
> >
> >
> >
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