[kictanet] [ISOC_KE] Citizen Saga, is it an oxymoron?

[Walubengo J]

Barrack,

It is abit difficult to excuse Royal Media on this one...they did hoard frequencies and in any case they are not denying this.  As for serving the under-served or marginalized areas, they are indeed welcome to do so but they would still need Regulatory approval.  Yes, the Universal Service Fund/Commission may not be operationalized but that is not a sufficient excuse - the lawyers would say the END never justifies the MEANS. 


MPESA analogy may not fit here since MPESA was and its derivatives will continue to be ahead of the (technology) laws as always - but in this case,  the frequency spectrum management and laws are almost as old as the Telegram (1890s) and were incorporated into  Kenyan law as early as the 1998 Kenya Communication Act. (15 years ago)


Finally, as I posted earlier, I support the CCK action and the reasons advanced by Wambua/CCK - but still concur with the MD of Royal Media when he says and i quote, "the timing of the action was quite curious" - when all variables* are considered (last portion my words).

walu.
*variables include Layer8 issues e.g Politics which is normal in all societies; that National Politics  does affect businesses/technologies/etc/  and we should not try too hard to ran away from this fact because it is not automatically/always a bad thing.  If for example, it took some political (mis?)calculation to give the Regulator some confidence to swing into action in order to save our Presidential Candidates and the general Kenyan airspace from calamity -  then that's a good thing if you asked me.


CCK should simply keep the tempo and extend that spirit to the many others who maybe sitting on frequencies that were irregularly acquired when these variables* were initially favourable to them. 




________________________________
 From: Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com>
To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>; isoc at orion.my.co.ke 
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 9:16 AM
Subject: [ISOC_KE] Citizen Saga, is it an oxymoron?
 

Listers,

Politics aside , i have been following the recent developements where CCK shut down a couple of transmitters for one of the leading broadcasters, on the flipside the said broadcaster has played a crucial role in ensuring the unreached masses are informed and educated something akin to Universal Access, i stand to be corrected but i think CCK has failed miserably in implementing Universal Access (i stand to be corrected on this list). What the said broadcaster did can only be compared to how Mpesa was implemented a case where the law delays or drags its feet or is implemented selectively. My question however is what is the role of the frequency spectrum in so far as socio - economic developement is concerned and what is the criteria for allocating the same? is there special consideration for underserved areas? No politicking please

-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
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Skype: barrack.otieno
http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/ 
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