[kictanet] Orange TKL - Request for assistance

Tue Sep 18 15:48:33 EAT 2012

On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 3:10 PM, Philip Adar <philip.adar at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes Washington,
> The perception that TKL is inefficient is imaginary, not real.
>

Hi Philip,

I take it that you haven't dealt with TKL before - from a customer's
perspective. I have been in this industry long enough and always pray that
one day, TKL will put their house in order, even get ISO 9001:2000
certification, in order for it to move ahead. If they can get that ISO
certification rightly, without taking shortcuts, I am 100% sure we'll be
talking about a different entity than what we have now.

>
> Let me try again to understand you:
>
> a) When you approached your provider to give you data services, did they
> indicate in your contract that they are only capable to give you a service
> if another provider 'say provider x'  agrees to lease them a tower space?
> If not (and I suspect so), why are they bothering you with details about
> from who they are supposed to lease tower space from?

I know for a fact that my provider uses TKLs masts to give service to their
clients. The arrangements and the finer details behind it are not quite a
concern to me. As it is now, there is a remote site that I have which is
connected via TKL's mast. I am afraid I'll not answer the question as you
put it.

> b) I believe no single provider is Kenya is a monopoly in providing any
> service, including back-to-back carrier services. So if I approach
> 'provider x' and he cannot offer what I need, I simply walk away with my
> cash and approach another provider who can deliver. I believe this is why
> competition exists in the market.
>

Quite a good assumption (wrong belief) on your part. I assume this is
because you've never faced a situation where there is only one provider you
can get service from - based on several considerations. In this particular
case and without generalization, it is ONLY Access Kenya who can provide
the connectivity, unless I want to stick with VSAT, which I have and is
quite expensive.

> c) I am currently rolling out a project which is probably similar to yours
> (but in another country in Africa, just emerging from decades of war). I
> need to lease 20 tower spaces in different locations within the country and
> there are 4 providers operating in the country who can offer the services I
> require. I approach provider A, they decline; citing in ability to deliver.
> I approach provider B, they decline; saying this kind of service is not
> among the usual services they offer to the market. I approach provider C,
> and yes! they are willing to sign me in and offer me services. And
> therefore yes, we are currently rolling out....
>
>
Oh, well. Thanks you are not talking about Kenya. I take your (c) assertion
as a simple distraction from the main focus.

> Can you educate your provider to try a similar approach? They are
> inefficient to you; offering you excuses and blames in place of the
> services they have signed you in for...
>

Well, unless my provider starts putting up their own masts (complete
facilities). I believe there is a very good business case why they went
into the current arrangement with TKL. I am supposing you'd like to ignore
that. Just so that we are in the same page, infrastructure sharing is
already a reality in KE and there is no need to start building your own
when you can ride on a competitor's - at a cost of course. I believe that
is the scenario between AK and TKL.

d) At some point in time, TKL was a state corporation, funded by the
> exchequer to offer services in the country; irrespective of the
> profitability of the service(s) in question. I suppose now TKL is a private
> limited company, just like many others in Kenya. It might therefore be
> inconsequential to approach them with a 'gun' at hand and demand that they
> give you a service where you want; regardless of the infrastructure in
> place at that particular place.
>

So that I am not further distracted, please refer to my response to (b)
above.

>
> I no longer work for TKL (I used to), but what I know is that since TKL
> was privatized; they have to evaluate the profitability of every project
> before they sign in to deliver. Every company does that...
>

That is none of our business, right?

> e) Advice: Report your current provider to CCK, for they have taken your
> cash and signed with you a contract they are unable to deliver. Please
> don't shout at another provider who has nothing to do with your current
> contract.
>
>

No need for this, because I have a mind and it makes me understand where
the problem is. Rather than run to CCK with tears, I am trying to take some
positive steps for my good and the good of TKL. How? Well, for a start, I
am pointing out the inefficiency that exists at TKL. I am very sure you
know more about this than I do, but I can give you an example - Safaricom
started as a unit within TKL, right? The only way TKL is gonna compete in
the market it is pretending to be capable of playing in is by them killing
such inefficiencies. That is also why I am suggesting TKL embraces ISO
9001:2000 to improve on service delivery. I don't know of any business that
made profits while behaving like TKL does - unless it's the Anglo-Leasing
types, but these are more of an exception than the norm.
A good example of where I feel TKL is headed is right here with us - KDN.
They refused to embrace the critique they received, took those negatively
(as criticism) and continued to dance within their comfort zone. You know
where it is right now, no? If it's not in the doldrums, then give me a
better description.

Even if TKL makes 10,000 monthly on site leasing, that is still so much
money and I don't see any reason why they should make a client (yes, AK is
a client in this context) wait for over a month to be given access to a
mast to install a radio.

That's why I said earlier that I am not surprised the IT Manager of the
Kenya High Commission in ZA has been struggling to get them to give a
quotation for half-circuit link to the Immigration offices at Nyayo House (
http://lix.in/-c1b378 - read if you like), but that is not to say I am
giving up on the push!

> Regards
> Philip
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 1:32 PM, Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> @Philip,
>>
>> In a strange coincidence, and e-mail has just hit my box (accidentally,
>> because either someone wrote the wrong address or Gmail decided I was the
>> intended recipient) and I don't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or
>> just laugh.
>> The e-mail is from the IT Manager of the Kenyan High Commission in South
>> Africa.
>>
>> Here is the interesting lines, and I quote:
>>
>> <quote>
>> We are really struggling to get pricing for half circuit from Telcom (K)
>> as they are the ones to do the Kenya circuit.  Can you pull some strings to
>> get us a contact person?
>> </quote>
>>
>> <quote>
>> Warm Greetings,
>>
>> In response to your earlier text as below, please send me your order
>> forms for our perusal. Once again, let me know if you need a high level
>> intervention to obtain the pricing from Nairobi.
>>
>> This is a vital project, and must proceed as scheduled from our end. Let
>> the delay be from Nairobi not here.
>>
>> </quote>
>>
>> You can see what they are going through with TKL? It's therefore not
>> strange that I have been waiting for over a month. Imagine if they cannot
>> give the price of half-circuit to the govt!
>>
>> I can post the whole e-mail if anyone is curious. It tells a lot about
>> the inefficiencies with TKL.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 6:07 PM, Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> @Philip,
>>>
>>> You are very right, except for one thing - waiting for one month for a
>>> simple thing as "we're still waiting for TKL to give access to the mast" is
>>> bound to throw thousands of butterflies into one's stomach!
>>>
>>> Sadly, this is the reason I cannot get service. One is bound to start
>>> imagining sabotage.
>>>
>>> Orange is a product, did you say??
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 2:09 PM, Philip Adar <philip.adar at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Odhiambo,
>>>> TKL is in the business of offering integrated ICT services in Kenya.
>>>> Orange is a product, among many other productsTKL offers.
>>>>
>>>> The services you are looking for is provided to you by Access Kenya.
>>>> Access Kenya therefore is your service provider; NOT Orange (a product of
>>>> TKL) or Telkom Kenya Limited (the company).
>>>>
>>>> My advice to you: Don't allow excuses from your service provider
>>>> (Access Kenya). You have contacted them to give you a service; and they are
>>>> answerable to you for the services you are paying them to deliver. Looping
>>>> TKL into the contract you have with Access Kenya does not make any sense at
>>>> all. Let access Kenya deal directly with their service provider and if in
>>>> case their contract terms are breached; they will know the next course of
>>>> action to take.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Adar
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 10:04 AM, Odhiambo Washington <
>>>> odhiambo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello listers,
>>>>>
>>>>> Does someone here know someone who knows someone at Orange TKL who can
>>>>> help me out?
>>>>>
>>>>> I am waiting for connectivity to some remote place in the wilderness
>>>>> of Nanyuki for 1 month now. The cause? Access Kenya Projects Team is
>>>>> waiting for clearance from to access an Orange Kenya mast in Nanyuki -
>>>>> which is where my radios need to be mounted.
>>>>>
>>>>> My understanding is that Access Kenya is leasing mast space from
>>>>> Orange Kenya's facility in Nanyuki town. However, waiting for 1 month to
>>>>> get approval to access the mast doesn't sound quite right, but that is what
>>>>> I am told it is.
>>>>>
>>>>> Seriously, I believe the sharing of the mast is a commercial venture
>>>>> between the two providers. There must be a way to shorten the bureaucratic
>>>>> tape at Orange Kenya. I am waiting for service and I so hope someone knows
>>>>> someone, honestly.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>>>>> Nairobi,KE
>>>>> +254733744121/+254722743223
>>>>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>>>>> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>
>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/philip.adar%40gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>> 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
>>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards
>>>>
>>>> Philip Adar
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Best regards,
>>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>>> Nairobi,KE
>>> +254733744121/+254722743223
>>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>>> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best regards,
>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>> Nairobi,KE
>> +254733744121/+254722743223
>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> kictanet mailing list
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>
>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/philip.adar%40gmail.com
>>
>> 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
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Philip Adar
>
>

-- 
Best regards,
Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
Nairobi,KE
+254733744121/+254722743223
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20120918/fba0bf80/attachment.htm>