[kictanet] Mobile vs Broadband?

[Brian Longwe]

Eric,

Very true - and your points are all valid. I am not saying we stick to one
technology and drop all the others. What I'm highligthting is the fact that
today mobile is connecting more than 100 million users in Africa each year -
since the theme of this year's IGF is "Internet for all" and yesterday's
agenda was "Reaching the next Billion" - my argument is that at the moment,
no other technology can provide the reach and adoption rate that mobile has.

On an interesting point - a speaker from the floor during the open dialogue
made an excellent point about the fact that it's entirely possible for us to
reach the next billion with narrowband or midband (32k - 256k) - but still
deliver powerful, useful and life-changing content and applications. Look at
m-pesa, mixxit in South Africa etc...

B

On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 11:02 AM, <emko at internetresearch.com.gh> wrote:

> Brian,
>
> Am not against your gospel according to Mobile Broadband, am just saying
> there are other forms that broadband comes and loosing sight of that for
> the current state of play can be dangerous.
>
> For examples, you can get broadband through cable, iBurst technology
> delivers broadband, WiMax is also for broadband, etc, etc, etc. New
> technologies and platforms are evolving everyday that deliver broadband,
> the most interesting is the effort to deliver broadband on wifi even over
> long distances, am personally involved in one such research at tier
> (http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/wiki/Home)
>
> I think you should be less propelling on your argument "we can actually
> argue that mobile IS broadband - when 3G and EDGE capabilities are
> available." Also your title "Mobile vs Broadband" can be misleading.
> Broadband can be delivered through mobile and other forms and for Africa
> we cannot stick it on Mobile alone.
>
> As a techie, you know very well that it is not acceptable for one to stick
> it out for one technology because tomorrow something new and better would
> be in the offering.
>
> My point is Africans need broadband in our homes and offices in order to
> advance our cause in the knowledge economy. Actually, the future is
> brighter with more options not just one.
>
> Eric here
>
>
> > THanks for the input Eric - but I beg to differ. Today you can obtain
> > 5-7Mbps on a 3G-capable mobile phone (tested in Kenya on Safaricom's
> > network
> > by Aki & the local tech group Skunkworks). EDGE network can offer up to
> > about 470Kbps.
> >
> > If we take the generally accepted parameters for broadband as anything
> > above
> > 512Kbps then we can actually argue that mobile IS broadband - when 3G and
> > EDGE capabilities are available.
> >
> > This issue has actually been taken up by the W3C consortium and they have
> > recognised the huge disruption potential that the mobile phenomenon in
> > Africa has to usher in a new era of human/computer/network interface - to
> > this end they are holding an even in Mozambique in April 2009 aimed at
> > bringing together thought leaders, technologists, policy makers etc to
> > take
> > a better look at the subject.
> >
> > The future is bright!
> >
> > Brian
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 10:41 PM, <emko at internetresearch.com.gh> wrote:
> >
> >> Dear Brian and all,
> >>
> >> While i totally agree with you on the mobile success and how it propels
> >> Africa to the forefront, i would caution that we need to move beyond
> >> that
> >> and see the need for broadband in African homes and offices as a basic
> >> utility in the knowledge economy.
> >>
> >> Sometimes the temptation to be caught in your success can blind you from
> >> engaging new frontiers. Lets not get caught in semantics because MOBILE
> >> is
> >> mobile and BROADBAND is broadband, if the later gets delivered through
> >> mobile platforms then fine but the elements are different. It is
> >> important
> >> to keep in mind also that broadband can come in many forms and we should
> >> be open to exploring the whole grail.
> >>
> >> You are right on spot with content and the need for local, national,
> >> regional and Africa wide interconnectedness.
> >>
> >> Eric here
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > 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.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Brian Munyao Longwe
> >> > e-mail: blongwe at gmail.com
> >> > cell:  + 254 722 518 744
> >> > blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
> >> > meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com
> >> > _______________________________________________
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> >> >
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> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Brian Munyao Longwe
> > e-mail: blongwe at gmail.com
> > cell:  + 254 722 518 744
> > blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
> > meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com
> >
>
>
>
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-- 
Brian Munyao Longwe
e-mail: blongwe at gmail.com
cell:  + 254 722 518 744
blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com
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