[kictanet] CCK to renew Safaricom's licence

[Ali Hussein]

@Walu

What do you call a Monopoly created not by the Government (ala Kenya Power, KPTC, KPA etc) but by the market/consumer through sheer innovation and good leadership? 

Hauling these in court and trying to break them up misses the point. What the market and consumer can give, it can take away (in a Nairobi minute!). The US Government in the early part of the century broke up Standard Oil because at one point it was supplying 90% of kerosene to households across the US (Yes, there was a time that electricity was not ubiquitous and kerosene was the energy source to light up homes). The government broke it up. But electricity rendered the monopoly irrelevant. The same can be said for Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook etc. the market is not perfect but it is more efficient than the Government - any day.

Oh by the way..almost a century later, the different parts of Standard Oil (more than 20 pieces of it) have morphed back again into one - Today we know the company as ExxonMobil. But it is far from a monopoly. For those of you who are interested you can read/watch about this in the series called 'The men who built America'. Just Google it.

As for Safaricom. They continue to innovate and ignore their customers at the same time. A paradox really because with all their innovations they are forgetting another important innovation area - their operations. I suspect there is another Pesky Start Up waiting to eat their lunch and the best we can do is not to put ideas into the regulator's mind that they can overstep their mandate.. Their's is not to break up monopolies but to provide a level playing field and let Wanjiku decide where to put her Shilingis.

My two cowries

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

+254 713 601113/ 0770 906375

"The future belongs to him who knows how to wait." - Russian Proverb

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 30, 2013, at 9:25 PM, "Wambua, Christopher" <Wambua at cck.go.ke> wrote:

> Edith,
> 
> I think you are not fair in your assessment. Measuring QoS and levying penalties for non - compliance as stipulated in the law and respective operators licences does not constitute not taking tangible action or fearing a licensee. 
> 
> The fact that we are seeking to enhance the penalties for non - compliance  in the law demonstrates a commitment to address the problem. 
> 
> Finally, we also need to appreciate that consumers have a responsibility to take advantage of  prevailing competition in the market that CCK has facilitated. 
> 
> Wambua
> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
> 
> From: Edith Adera
> Sent: Tuesday, 30 July 2013 14:49 PM
> To: Wambua, Christopher
> Cc: Consumer and Public Affairs; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] CCK to renew Safaricom's licence
> 
> Walu,
>  
> Well presented!
>  
> We should be worried, VERY worried, when the “referee” begins to fear the “player”!!
>  
> Poor QoS is acknowledged, but NO tangible action!
>  
> I feel that CCK is “skirting around the problem”!!
>  
> Edith
>  
> From: Walubengo J [mailto:jwalu at yahoo.com] 
> Sent: July 30, 2013 2:37 PM
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: Consumer and Public Affairs; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] CCK to renew Safaricom's licence
>  
> @Edith,
> 
> I am not a regulator and neither do I intend to shield  Wambua/CCK from your question.  But I can tell you one way to deal with poor service is to provide competition which I believe CCK has done very well.
> 
> (Un?)Fortunately through sheer hard work (or otherwise?) Safcom has managed to get 78% market share in the data market. So they are for all purposes and intent a monopoly in that space.   Monopolies by nature tend to be dictate alot of things - including how to make more money within the shortest time a
> 
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> 
> 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.
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