[kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCKInternetStudy Report

Fatma Bashir fbashir at cyberschooltech.com
Fri May 4 13:31:57 EAT 2007


Joan,

I dont have statistics but working in the education sector, I see what KDN 
sees in the schools, schools will be the incubation ground for the demand 
for ICT in the rural areas (60% of schools are in rural areas). In about a 
year and a half years time the picture will start changing as high school 
graduates will be computer savvy and naturally opt to continue pursuing 
interests ranging from search of opportunities for enterpreneurship to 
formal job hunting using the internet or just keeping intouch!.

Further more when we look at schools and their facilities, they can easily 
become the information centres for the communities around them and also 
offer affordable capacity building to the parents of the students nearby. 
Then they will start to look for ways to make some money and the 
international/local content picture will start to swing in our favor.

Imagine one day you will go online and order your chopped sukuma wiki and 
packet of carrots from the local mama mbogo outside your estate, she will 
deliver to your house you will pay her on your way back home or GOd knows 
even online?. its the form form leaver who will have designed the website 
for her and its the nearby school that will have taught her computer 101.

whats missing is the segment that should be dealing with Capacity Building 
in an informal way or even sensitizing and awareness ( ie we dont have to 
attend college proper we can just go to the neighbourhood place and learn 
some basics) I think that this is where the Lag might be felt by the likes 
of KDN...and others.

Fatma


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joan Walumbe" <jwalumbe at globalnetcorps.org>
To: <fbashir at cyberschooltech.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - 
CCKInternetStudy Report


> Walu,
>
> I agree with you that affordablity is a factor especially for rural
> communities when it comes to access to the internet. But I think that lack
> of awareness is an even bigger factor. It's fine for the urban folk (who
> already recognise the benefits to the internet etc.) taking a short break 
> in
> shags to have the internet access when back home, but it there is no 
> demand
> for the internet among the residents what is the point?
>
> So does KDN enter a market and then hope to create demand or is their a
> market that demands the service or is it a little of both?
>
> I understand that Kai would not be venturing into the rural areas if it 
> did
> not make any financial sense.  Can anyone provide some info/statistics on
> demand for internet access in rural areas?
>
> Joan Walumbe
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Walubengo" <jwalubengo at kcct.ac.ke>
> To: <kictanet at kictanet.or.ke>
> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:01 AM
> Subject: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCK 
> InternetStudy
> Report
>
>
> Day 5- Statistics on Affordability.
>
> I acknowledge an interesting thread filtering in on Trust relationships 
> b/w
> IGOs/ISPs...feel  free to continue contributing on that as well as on
> today's theme on affordability (multi-tasking
> encouraged by internet technologies ...)
>
> and just to pick up from Kai's projection of KDN fiber hitting Bungoma in
> early August 2007.  This would be quite a welcome and timely development,
> but at what cost to the consumer? To  what extend will the (internet)
> services be affordable to the rural/average communities?
>
> Affordability is a subjective term gven that what is considered cheap by 
> the
> Bill Gates of  this world is probably not so for the average Kenyan on the
> street.  In trying to get an  objective measurement for affordability, the
> Report pegged it on the national average  incomes.  In other words, if the
> monthly average income in Kenya is around 100USD and if the  average 
> monthly
> cost for internet access is also around 100USD then obviously the average
> Kenyan will not bother with accessing the Internet - it just becomes way
> beyond their means  or too expensive or not affordable.
>
> The report indicated that access through the more convenient Internet
> Dial-up/Desktop  services costed over 200% the average incomes (too
> expensive), while the same access through  mobile phones was costing just 
> 8%
> of the average incomes (quite affordable).  What needs to  be done in 
> order
> to make Internet Services more afforable to Kenyans?
>
> 1 day deliberation on this one.
>
> walu.
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/fbashir%40cyberschooltech.com
> 


---------------------------------------------- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
---------------------------------------------
"easy access to the world" 





More information about the KICTANet mailing list