[kictanet] Fwd: [Itu2012chapters] ENDitorial: The ETNO's WCIT proposals are not as bad as some say

[Ali Hussein]

Barrack and all 

Let me start with a quote from the news story:-

'In 2008, despite over a decade of liberalisation, the International Telecommunications Users Group calculated that European citizens were wasting ten billion Euro per year in “spurious” mobile termination rates (MTRs). It seems surprising that this could happen in a liberalised market, but there is a reason for this, namely that termination rates generally react to competition like a drug-resistent superbug reacts to antibiotics: with indifference.'

The now ubiquitous MTRs...Interesting how this is tied to net neutrality and Internet Governance. 

I was really shocked and distressed to hear the Kenyan delegation is supporting the ETNO Proposals. During yesterday's Intermediary Liability Breakfast I did bring this issue up and sought clarification from the DG, Mr. Wangusi on what actually happened. I must say that I was less than satisfied by his response which basically did not agree or disagree with the stand but said that this is a very contentious issue. That at least is true and agree with. He also did promise (with the support of Dr.Ndemo) to organize a forum so that our National Position to the ITRs and WCIT conference in Dubai will be presented and finalized. I do hope this happens in time for this to be cemented and crystallized way before the December Dubai meeting.

Make no mistake about this. This is a struggle for control of resources and it won't be an easy one. 

Telcos (esp. former national monopolies) and ISPs may be behind the ETNO proposals in Europe. The thinking is a simple one. Why should content providers earn revenues on their content without sharing the booty with them? Never mind that at some point in the value chain through hosting and server farms this expense is already factored in. Then of course there is the end user who consumes the content. If it is 'free' (and I assure you nothing is free today. That's why Facebook is now using the same metrics as Telcos - Average Revenue Per User - to track their financial performance) you are at least paying for bandwidth which as we know goes to the pipe owner. 

The Triple Play model is a play to earn more revenue for Telcos and that is as it should be. Use market forces to your advantage and stop relying fully on regulators or regulations. There is a part to be played by both. On this area I say Hongera to Wananchi Group for clearly understanding this new dispensation. 

I urge all of us to take cognizance of the Multi-Stakeholder system that this country has so painstakingly built and let's not allow a culture of impunity to creep in.

Ali Hussein
CEO | 3mice interactive media Ltd
Principal | Telemedia Africa Ltd

+254 773/713 601113

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 11, 2012, at 12:19 PM, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com> wrote:

> Listers,
> 
> And the plot thickens i would be keen to hear the perspective of various stakeholders, Ali, Walu, Alice, Omo, Dr Ndemo is it really that bad?  i understand that we support it in some quarters :-)
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Veni Markovski <veni at veni.com>
> Date: Wed, Oct 10, 2012 at 11:50 PM
> Subject: [Itu2012chapters] ENDitorial: The ETNO's WCIT proposals are not as bad as some say
> To: "itu2012chapters at elists.isoc.org" <itu2012chapters at elists.isoc.org>
> 
> 
> ENDitorial: The ETNO's WCIT proposals are not as bad as some say
> 
> 
> http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number10.19/wcit-etno-proposals-not-so-bad
> 
> best,
> veni
> 
> 
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> Barrack O. Otieno
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