[kictanet] Internet Governance issues come out in the open in Kenya as Telkom Kenya & Google Clash

[McTim]

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 11:29 PM, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
> Listers
>
> This is of interest to all those who intend to start or are in the business
> of creating and owning content online.
>
> This story which appears in the business daily highlights the pitfalls we
> face when business models start eroding and companies look for life lines
> without fully understanding what is disrupting their business models.

+1, or even understanding what their new biz model is.   Telcos in
Africa chrage their customers for EVERY SINGLE BIT that they deliver.
FT/Orange just wants to be paid twice to deliver once.  It's
outrageous and I'm surprised our consumer groups haven't spoken up
about this.



>
> This particular issue of telcos demanding that content providers like
> Google, Facebook and Ma3Racer pay them for access was a major bone of
> contention during WCIT12.
>
> So what you think?

FT is a major player in ETNO, who came up with the "sender pays"
proposal pre-WCIT which didn't even get a hearing at that conference.
Now they are trying it on in Africa.  Shameful.


>
> Should we all pay the Telcos for the right to allow them to give their
> customers access to their content online? If this succeeds what is to stop
> Telkom Kenya or any other Telco to demand that if I want my little blog to
> be accessed by their customers I need to pay them access charges?
>


nothing would stop them, except that Google has deep pockets and you don't.


> http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate-News/Telkom-and-Google-clash-over-network-fee-demand/-/539550/1859038/-/24js3yz/-/index.html?goback=%2Egmp_4267747%2Egde_4267747_member_242979558
>
> This is one of the reasons that Kenya didn't sign WCIT12. It is now
> interesting that the same argument is being raised by Telkom Kenya.

FT can't make windfall profits a la SafCom, so they blame anyone but
themselves.  It's a red-herring.

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel