[kictanet] Satement by Brian Longwe from Panel on Access in Main Session of Internet Governance Forum, Hyderabad, India 3rd Dec 2008

[Joseph Okech]

JM you are one hell of a bore and the sooner you realize the better!!

./Ok3ch

On Wednesday 03 December 2008 16:34:38 John Maina wrote:
> KICTANET
>
> Why is a Malawian representing Kenya at the IGF? Do we lack enough Kenyans
> to sit on Kenyan boards and also represent Kenya abroad? This is disgusting
> and the earlier the masqueraders like Brian Longwe and the bunch of foreign
> attack dogs are told off the better.
>
> JM
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Brian Longwe <blongwe at gmail.com>
> To: j.maina at ymail.com
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 3:15:20 PM
> Subject: [kictanet] Satement by Brian Longwe from Panel on Access in Main
> Session of Internet Governance Forum, Hyderabad, India 3rd Dec 2008
>
>
> Brian Munyao Longwe – Main Session on Access (Development Perspective)
>
> Traditionally teledensity has been used as a measure of access or the
> extent to which communication technologies have pervaded a community.
>
> In the past Africa as a region has recorded extremely low fixed-line
> teledensity of below 1% that is less than 1 line per 100 people. Believe it
> or not this is still the case!
>
> However, when one incorporates mobile lines in a teledensity analysis - the
> results are not only incredible, they are amazing. as of 2007, Africa's
> mobile teledensity stood at an impressive 23% or 23 lines per 100 people.
> There was a recorded growth in mobile users from 128 million in 2006 to
> over 215 million subscribers by 2007. This represents an annual growth of
> over 46%. We have just heard that India's mobile network is growing at an
> incredible rate of over 10 million new connections per month!
>
> Given the fact that most operators around Africa have rolled out GPRS/EDGE
> coverage across most of their networks as well as deployment of 3G access
> across their larger markets it is entirely feasible that mobile, not
> broadband may present the opportunity for increased access for developing
> countries. MOBILE and not BROADBAND is the silver bullet.
>
> Another key element crucial to the growth of access in developing countries
> is a suitable environment for the dispersion of relevant content and
> applications that meet the day to day needs of the populace. Internet
> Exchange Points are the primary critical ingredient needed to create these
> conditions. By keeping all locally originated and requested traffic local,
> Internet exchange points serve a crucial role in enhancing the user
> experience, lowering operational costs and providing a suitable framework
> for the growth and development of the Internet in general.
>
> While many developing countries have adopted policies and regulations that
> encourage and promote competition in the mobile sectors, which has resulted
> in continued growth in the numbers of users, the establishment of IXPs has
> received a relatively low priority - despite the significant impact that
> such simple infrastructure presents to the community.
>
> Access enhances the interface between government and the citizen at a
> transactional level. The Kenya Revenue Authority last year suggested that
> the Kenya Internet Exchange Point receive "critical infrastructure" status
> with 24-hour armed guard due to the fact that 100% of all import/export
> declarations and documentation transit the IXP via the revenue authority's
> web-based platform.
>
> Going back to mobile, Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile operator introduced a
> money transfer service called M-Pesa less than two years ago. M-Pesa now
> has over 4 million subscribers (within 1 year - the service signed up more
> users than Kenya's entire banking industry signed up within a century!)
> Safaricom reported that over half a Billion US dollar had been transacted
> over the platform within less than 18 months.
>
> Key policy lesson? The financial services and communications regulator in
> Kenya decided not to subject m-pesa to punitive obligations through
> treatment as a bank but rather chose to perceive m-pesa a non-bank payment
> service. That decision has today affected and continues to affect millions
> of lives.. Regulators can either promote innovation, access & development
> or hinder it.
>
> In East Africa communications regulators have completely opened up the
> communications sector; fully liberalizing every area, but providing
> structure through unified licensing regime that separates facilities,
> services and content In Kenya this has spurred investments of over half a
> Billion USD over the past 2 years.
>
> Key stakeholder lesson: relevant content drives demand - Safaricom's m-pesa
> met a basic and everyday need, this has driven the increased use of their
> mobile platform by touching the lives & livelihoods of both urban & rural
> citizens.

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