[kictanet] Day 2 of 5 -Spare MJ

Wed Jan 30 14:54:03 EAT 2008

I would be happy to respond to this.

It is true that with EDGE and GPRS the data slots are shared with voice and at busy times (normally 6 pm to 8 pm), voice takes precedence. With 3G this does not happen and would hope that as we roll out this 3G service data service will be much improved. Most of the USB modems sold now can handle both GPRS/EDGE and 3G.

There are some other technical issues we are looking at that could improve the current data speeds.

Regards,

Michael

CEO

Safaricom Limited

________________________________

From: kictanet-bounces+mjoseph=safaricom.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+mjoseph=safaricom.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Leonard Mware
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:02 PM
To: Michael Joseph
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 2 of 5 -Spare MJ

Walu,

I thought it was Eunice and not Esther. Eunice's query is very relevant since you can not talk of interventions while service providers are not meeting expections. During the early days of the skirmishes surfing internet at home was made possible by the mobile operators. Unfortunately Safaricom does not work well. We were able to talk and communcate with reatives ad friend abroad and other parts of the country through the Internet.

For Eunice and the rest who are interested, the problem is that Safaricom has a very large voice customer base and the way the system works, preference is automaticaly given to voice as opposed to data. I have been a regular user of Celtel data service (gave up on Safaricom long time ago) but of late I have realized their speeds are going down as well and quality of service not what it used to be. To me, this is an indication that Celtel voice customer base is also growing. You may be lucky to get good service if you are near a base station with fewer voice connections.

The solution is technical. It means Safaricom and Celtel must re-dimension their networks and possibly ' hard wire' dedicated timeslots or channels for the growing data customer base. 

Otherwise we will soon start demanding money back for service they are selling yet they know very well (yes they know) they don't have capacity.

Maybe CCK and Ministry of InfoComm can also intervene.

So, Walu, as we talk of interventions we can also remind the providers they are let down.

Leonard

PS. Is DMurray still at Celtel????

John Walubengo <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:

	Esther et al,

	With all due respect. Plse avoid swamping MJoseph with
	customer care issues. At this rate, DMurray (Celtel) might
	avoid making contributions to our discussions given the
	risk that it might just attract customer care queries ;-)

	In any, case if you have some 'personal' issues with the
	operators/CEO plse target rather than broadcast the issue
	unless it ties in with the current discussion which is :
	"Possible (ICT) Interventions to current crisis in the
	country". 

	walu.
	--- Eunice Kariuki wrote:

	> Michael,
	> 
	> Talking of challenges with value for money on airtime - 
	> 
	> I bought 'Bambanet' recently to set myself free from
	> office based internet
	> but to my utter disappointment I seldom browse as
	> connection to websites
	> fails - any website include safarcom website.
	> The most I have managed is email but at very slow speeds.
	> 
	> Is this the way the product is designed or is there a
	> problem?
	> 
	> Eunice 
	> 
	> -----Original Message-----
	> From:
	>
	kictanet-bounces+eunicekariuki=ict.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
	>
	[mailto:kictanet-bounces+eunicekariuki=ict.go.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke]
	> On
	> Behalf Of Edith Adera
	> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 3:05 PM
	> To: eunicekariuki at ict.go.ke
	> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
	> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 2 of 5 - Challenges Posed
	> byPost-ElectionViolence on ICT Organisations
	> 
	> Michael and Walu,
	> 
	> Indeed the mood is dampened!
	> 
	> Two points:
	> 
	> *to Michael - I bought a scratch card this morning that
	> gave me less money 
	> than printed on the card! What's happening?
	> 
	> * Both of you have raised interesting issues that need
	> further discussions 
	> - effects of the ban vs possible censorship of content by
	> Safaricom as 
	> indicated by Michael. In a situation of media ban the
	> only "live" coverage 
	> is informal networks and under these circumstances sms'
	> come in very handy, 
	> so people are able to move "live" news quickly to family,
	> relatives and 
	> friends. It worries me to hear Michael taut censorship of
	> sms content. It 
	> raises many issues:
	> 
	> - is there infringement of personal rights in reading
	> people's sms content 
	> to determine which is suitable to censor?
	> - who makes this decision?
	> - should we feel exposed?
	> 
	> In addition to discussing these issues, I strongly feel
	> we need to do 
	> something practical to support those suffering.....
	> 
	> kind regards
	> 
	> Edith
	> 
	> At / À 14:09 29/01/2008, Michael Joseph wrote / a écrit:
	> >I think we are all trying to deal with the crisis which
	> seems to grow
	> >every day with no-one seemingly concerned enough to stop
	> it.
	> >
	> >With regard to the scratch card prices, the problem was,
	> and is still to
	> >some extent, the disruption of our supply lines due to
	> the violence and
	> >the closing of the banking network for more than 10
	> days. In a, mostly,
	> >informal economy, the impact of lengthy bank closures
	> has a significant
	> >impact on the economy and is even outlawed in some
	> countries. The
	> >problem is that stocks are kept to a minimum due to cash
	> flow and
	> >security problems. So if there is a minor blip this does
	> lead to
	> >significant shortages. We are looking, as are others,
	> for alternative
	> >solutions to deal with this problem.
	> >
	> >At one point we became a bank and collected billions of
	> shillings in
	> >cash (and stored them in our vaults) from dealers in
	> order to get the
	> >supply process going.
	> >
	> >Fortunately we never experienced severe disruption to
	> our network except
	> >for some areas in Western (where else) due to the
	> inability to get
	> >diesel fuel to some key sites. But the threat was always
	> there.
	> >
	> >The other threat worth mentioning is the ever increasing
	> hostile hate
	> >SMSs which were circulating after the elections and
	> continue to
	> >circulate. We are introducing a filtering system which
	> will hopefully
	> >stop some of them, but we must realize that the
	> communications networks
	> >are vital in times of unrest and if we are forced to
	> close down some
	> >elements to stop these hate messages, the impact could
	> be felt even more
	> >widely and may even introduce panic. We must guard our
	> freedom but we
	> >must also act responsibly to protect that freedom. I
	> know I am preaching
	> >to the choir, and may even encourage some debate, but it
	> is a fine line
	> >in these critical times.
	> >
	> >Regards,
	> >
	> >Michael
	> >
	> >CEO
	> >Safaricom Limited
	> >
	> >
	> >-----Original Message-----
	> >From:
	>
	kictanet-bounces+mjoseph=safaricom.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
	>
	>[mailto:kictanet-bounces+mjoseph=safaricom.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke]
	> >On Behalf Of John Walubengo
	> >Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 9:45 AM
	> >To: Michael Joseph
	> >Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
	> >Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 2 of 5 - Challenges Posed
	> >byPost-ElectionViolence on ICT Organisations
	> >
	> >mmhh, looks like very few contributions. I understand
	> the
	> >dampened mood. But really, we have to talk. Unless you
	> >guys want us to bring Koffi Anaan here to make us
	> share...
	> >
	> >Anyway, Thanx Alex, Bill, and Brian for your
	> contributions
	> >so far. I was just thinking at a national level...the
	> >impact so far.
	> >1. Mobile Operators (earlier in the fracas I bought a
	> >scratch card worth 250sh for 500sh, black market rates)
	> >2. BPO projects (whats happening at Kencall and others?)
	> >3. ICT Board (with World Bank threatening to hold back
	> >funds, what happens to the Infrastructure projects that
	> >were to provide Bandwidth to BPOs and Academia?)
	> >4. Media (how are you coping with the live transmission
	> >ban?)
	> >6. ISPs, ASPs, Cybercafes (any impacts)
	> >7. Our members in the region UG, RW (any impacts?)
	> >
	> >Plse talk, we have only four more days to go. It is
	> >refreshing to talk about this things. It is part of the
	> >healing process.
	> >
	> >walu.
	> >
	> >--- Alex Gakuru wrote:
	> >
	> > > Ok, I was silent because Brain Longwe had earlier
	> > > asked that the list be what it was meant to be. Since
	> > > that position has changed, I want to start with
	> > > "funny" joke. We have a saying in this regard.
	> > >
	> > > Have you been one of those who have tried or
	> struggled
	> > > to guess the tribe of the person sending emails to
	> > > mailing lists? Please own up:) Last week we
	> considered
	> > > assessing the psychological consequences the crisis
	> > > was having on consumers with regard to email and
	> blogs
	> > > posts.
	> > >
	> > > It turned out that some tried to "align" their views
	> > > on e-mail senders whom they perceived (or imagined?)
	> > > to be of the same or "friendly" tribes. Our
	> > > conclusion, listers were not tribal, yet the stress,
	> > > politics and media had forced them to seek tribal
	> > > alignments. We were happy to discover that.
	> > >
	> > > Next we discussed tensions at workplace Telkom Kenya
	> > > being our sample. We learnt how badly it had divided
	> > > staff there. We overheard employee conversations! We
	> > > wished companies would hold extra parties to lessen
	> > > tensions at work. I have just noticed a ke-users
	> > > lister has posted a very positive message. Their HR
	> > > department today held an organisation-wide
	> > > counselling session. That was excellent. All
	> companies
	> 
	=== message truncated ===

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