[kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCK Internet Study Report

[James Rege]

Walu, Your concern on affordability of internet access by rural communities
is justified.  I don't think fibre optics (being a point-to-point) network
can benefit a majority of rural communities economically unless there is a
seriously subsidized provision of the last-mile network. Thousands of
schools and Government offices which are situated far away from the fibre
optics paths will never sniff the benefits of broadband communications
supplied through fibre optics pipe. Fibre optics, microwave and satellite
media always complement each other, especially for restoration purposes. We
have to find affordable means of netting for our folks in the outskirts. Can
Walu's concern be addressed in all the cases?



On 5/3/07 9:01 AM, "John Walubengo" <jwalubengo at kcct.ac.ke> wrote:

> 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.
> 
> 
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