[kictanet] Digital migration and mass ignorance

Thu Dec 20 08:33:15 EAT 2012

Hi Mr. Mutoro,

I do feel you on the issue of the consumer unfortunately you sound like an advocate for big and entrenched business, a situation you might not even be aware of, just like a soldier who goes to war without understanding the underlying issues of the war/battle.

The issue here is not about 1G or 10G it is about leveling the broadcast plain field so as to meet the basic human rights enshrined in the new constitution such as the freedom for me to watch the news in my mother tongue or to watch news content that is relevant to me and not be held hostage watching a polo item. You might love soccer but I love ajua so why force me to watch what I do not want.  With 120 channels airing I will definitely have a better opportunity of watching what I need, so please keep in mind when you are responding to this post, if you dare, that the discussion on the table is not about internet but about giving me the consumer greater choice.

As an advocate for the consumer your mandate is to make sure that we are provided with services in an equitable manner, on the issue of digital migration the current providers have been depriving consumers of the freedom of choice, today we are no better off than the early days of state run media and what you are advocating is for the status quo to be maintained.

Today all stations air news at the same time which denies me, the consumer, with the basic human right of watching the news at my convenience or comparing the content presented by the various stations, allowing the current media houses to get additional channels for cheaper than their current transmission power bills will mean that they can offer news reruns at different times.

Today COFEK is unable to run consumer awareness programs on radio & TV because of the exorbitant costs an issue that will promptly be remedied once we holistically embrace digital broadcast, COFEK will be able to get their own channels for a fraction of your current advertising budget that you can then use to provide an alternative to the consumers.  Your lower operating cost and vast reach will mean that small scale manufacturers will be able to advertise their products therefore giving the consumer the freedom of choice.

Be reminded that the battle you are currently waging is for the maintenance of the status quo where me, the consumer, is being held hostage to content provided by a few with vested interests, you are defending the establishment while standing on my back, the consumer, in truth you do not speak for me you speak for my enemies.

Regards

PS.  The typical Kenyan, you and I included, wait for the rain to start pouring before we start planting or buy an umbrella that is how we the consumers are and by you forcing us to to plan and prepare in advance is denying us our basic human rights as Kenyans, so please do not stop the rain from pouring as you will delay my planting.

Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya

Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

________________________________
 From: Stephen Mutoro <smutoro at yahoo.com>
To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk 
Cc: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
Sent: Wednesday, 19 December 2012, 21:20
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital migration and mass ignorance

Thanks for thinking for consumers in a more broad and realistic spectrum (including rural proletariats) beyond the minority but noisy middle to higher income Nairobi CBD/Upper Hill techies  who are obsessed about 4+G when millions of others can't access 2-G. There is nothing like "mass ignorance" or "mass intelligence" on a matter of human/consumer rights as ably articulated within Consumer Protection Act, 2012 (which took effect on December 13). 

Stephen Mutoro 
www.cofek.co.ke

On Dec 12, 2012, at 11:47 AM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:

> Digital broadcast is great, no doubt about that, and the benefits are
> boundless. But let us not be elitist in the way we conduct the
> exercise.
> 
> You can free the airwaves, and create thousands of digital channels
> and jobs, but if I in Kibera and Mathare, I cannot afford to buy a
> setbox in the next year, I will be forced to use by TVbox as a stool.
> 
> Let those with money migrate, and let the poor enjoy the poor quality
> analog signal in peace until set boxes are dirt cheap.
> 
> On the other hand, to reach a consensus, give us cheap subsidized
> digital set boxes, say at 500bob, marked GoK, and give us adequate
> time to buy them.
> 
> Remember, 2000bob is my dinner for a month.
> 
> You switched off my phone, which I bought with hard earned cash, then
> you switch of my TV! Next you will switch of my radio, then ...
> 
> On 12/12/2012, bitange at jambo.co.ke <bitange at jambo.co.ke> wrote:
>> Listers,
>> Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has gone to court to stop the planned
>> Digital Switchover in Nairobi at the end of this month.  This is most
>> unfortunate considering the fact that the current analogue broadcast has
>> been the most discriminating.  Majority of Kenyans have not seen the level
>> of communication that Digital offers (this is what the constitution
>> demands).  In the new platform we have seen more vernacular channels
>> delivering news in a language that people understand and relate to.  It
>> therefore surprises me when an organization such as COFEK moves to court
>> to protect an elitist broadcast platform.
>> 
>> Further every one new channel creates more than thirty new jobs.  There
>> are more than one hundred and fifty new applications awaiting clearance to
>> start digital broadcast.  Twenty of these are already on air.  If we get
>> two hundred new broadcasters, we shall have achieved our quest for having
>> a pluralistic and diversified broadcast environment.  In whose interest is
>> COFEK advancing the agenda of maintaining monopolistic practices in Kenyan
>> Media? Does COFEK really understands the seriousness of unemployment in
>> Kenya?
>> 
>> The cost of not migrating is far too great than biting the bullet now and
>> enable frequency spectrum to be used in more productive and inclusive
>> manner.  The benefits of mobile operators moving from 2G to 3G are
>> glaring.  We need to scale up to 4G and create a robust last mile that
>> will reduce the rural urban digital divide; that will create an enabling
>> playing field when we start delivering new local content to schools
>> country-wide.
>> 
>> Most of the world has migrated and they fully understand why we need to
>> free up spectrum. EAC member states agreed on the December 31st deadline
>> and Tanzania for example has committed itself to this agreed deadline
>> despite not having a completed the national roll-out of the digital
>> signal. In Kenya we have adopted a phased plan starting from Nairobi.
>> Technology changes every six months and Kenya must remain at the
>> technological edge in order to remain the true hub of Africa.  We seem to
>> be exercising freedom without any responsibility.
>> 
>> Ndemo.
>> 
>> 
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> This is where we are going wrong, the digital migration has nothing to do
>>> with digital TV sets its about how the signal will be transmitted, please
>>> try and see the bigger picture here.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> When we moved from analogue internet connectivity where you needed a
>>> modem
>>> to the digital transmission where you needed a DTU/ADSL/Dongle why didn't
>>> you please with the government to stop the importation of Pentium
>>> processor based computers or 14" monitors or AT keyboards so that users
>>> could transition?  If you remember the ISPs never even gave us a
>>> transition period and some never even implemented analogue connectivity.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> This is the same case with the digital TV migration, you do not need a
>>> digital TV to benefit from the new method of transmission all that you
>>> are
>>> changing is the equivalent of your analogue modem with a digital receiver
>>> and nothing more, also remember that this transition is a world wide
>>> project and it would be foolhardy to try and stop the oncoming train.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> As Kenyans, we have proven time and time again that we are resilient and
>>> innovative, we turned off "fake" phones and on the following day they
>>> where getting reactivated thanks to the power of google, turn off the
>>> analogue signal tomorrow and we shall have 500/- decoders available for
>>> sale along the streets of Nairobi, keep postponing the switchoff and
>>> there
>>> will be no meaning uptake of the digital devices, have you registered for
>>> election yet?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> All this noise from the entrenched media houses that we are propagating
>>> has nothing to do with if Kenyans with black and white TVs can afford to
>>> buy the decoder but more on trying to delay the shift of broadcasting
>>> power to a more open platform, so before you come to the defense of Linus
>>> and his ilk find out whose agenda you are promoting, instead of coming
>>> forward and responding to the discussion going on here of which I am sure
>>> they are listening, they send mercenaries .
>>> 
>>> Dr. Ndemo, I again say kudos and tell you keep the course and do what is
>>> right for the Nation and avoid being distracted by those with selfish
>>> agendas, deliver on this and Konza has a better chance of seeing the
>>> light
>>> of day.
>>> 
>>> Regards
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Robert Yawe
>>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>> Kenya
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: meshack emakunat <memakunat at yahoo.com>
>>> To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
>>> Cc: Meshack <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, 5 December 2012, 16:48
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital migration and mass ignorance
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Dear list
>>> I read this thread and all i see is the "the cart before the horse". I
>>> believe Mr gitahi was referring to affordability rather compatibility and
>>> adaptability. @Robert, don't you think Kenyans should be given enough
>>> time
>>> to migrate rather than have a paradigm shift in tech use. I think that we
>>> should ban the importation of analog TV as somebody suggested earlier
>>> then
>>> will have a gradual change till 2015
>>> Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android
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>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for
>> people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
>> development.
>> 
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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> 
> 
> -- 
> ______________________
> Mwendwa Kivuva
> For
> Business Development
> Transworld Computer Channels
> Cel: 0722402248
> twitter.com/lordmwesh
> transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing
> kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
> 
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