[kictanet] Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet

Wed Dec 2 11:13:51 EAT 2015

Using the willing buyer willing seller analogy,

I still think the debate is a bit premature for our region. Service
providers have to invest to avail the service. Even the government
invests and taxes the citizens to get a return on its investment. In
light of this fact, when a service provider makes an effort to provide
a service within their economic means (what they can afford), let them
provide the service and make a return on their investment. If their
service sucks, someone will come with a better service and knock them
off the pedestal.

Remember the government promised free-wi fi in its manifesto, as to
why it has not taken off two years down the line, your guess is as
good as mine , Free - Basic :-)<div
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On 12/2/15, Ngigi Waithaka via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
> Ali,
>
> This is also very interesting to me as well...
>
> For as long as there has been someone selling something, there has always
> been either a free sample and/or free time etc. Focusing on our industry,
> there are lots of free things that companies push in order to get that
> important lock in... e.g
>
> Google Search (Free) -> Locks you in to Google Ads
> Android (Free)-> Locks you in to Google Ads
> 120 Day MS Office Free Trial -> Locks you to MS Office paid
> Linux (Free) -> Locks you in to using *free* things :-)
> Include any other software firm here...
>
> I mean, this list and especially in Technology is *endless*
>
> Question is, if Facebook is giving away free internet to lock in users to
> Facebook its just following a line that's been drawn in the sand from the
> first salesman.
>
> Why are we picking on them?
>
> Rgds
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 10:43 AM, Ali Hussein via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Waudo
>>
>> Nothing is free in this world.. :-)
>>
>> To bring you upto speed on this issue I'd recommend Kivuva's seminal
>> discourse on this issue:-
>>
>>
>> http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_the_developing_world/
>>
>> *Ali Hussein*
>> *Principal*
>> *Hussein & Associates*
>> +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
>>
>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>
>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>
>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>
>> Blog: www.alyhussein.com
>>
>> "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking
>> what no one else has thought".  ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On 2 Dec 2015, at 9:51 AM, waudo siganga via kictanet <
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for this initiative Grace. I am just wondering what is wrong with
>> commercial entities that want people to access their sites for free. I
>> would encourage anything given for free! In earlier days we were
>> preaching
>> that we should let the market decide direction. The old policies that
>> were
>> unilaterally set by governments had failed to deliver universal services
>> as
>> we saw with the telephony sector before market liberalization. It looks
>> now
>> we are going full circle and there is a move to curtail market forces,
>> possibly using governmental interventions. However I am still in the
>> process of updating myself on this issue.
>>
>> Waudo
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 1, 2015, at 12:07 AM, Grace Githaiga via kictanet wrote:
>>
>>
>> Dear Listers
>>
>>
>>
>> Greetings. I hope your week has started well.
>>
>>
>>
>> The topic of Net Neutrality has become an important global Internet
>> Governance issue in the last two years, and has generated some
>> interesting
>> debates.
>>
>>
>>
>> In Kenya, Facebook has partnered with Airtel to offer users zero rated
>> services, christened "free basics" which means that several websites have
>> been selected (for lack of a proper word)  to participate in the
>> platform,
>> where users access these websites for free. However, the same users
>> cannot
>> access any other website unless they pay for the data.
>>
>>
>>
>> Different positions depending on where their proponents stand have been
>> shared.  Please find one here by Nanjira Sambuli
>> http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/free-internet-freedom-create/-/620/2975634/-/f6hgvx/-/index.html
>> and another by our own Mwendwa Kivuva
>> http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_the_developing_world/
>>
>>
>>
>> Those for pro zero rated services have argued that it gives more users
>> free access to the Internet, and that it is a genuine attempt to connect
>> the unconnected. Those on the opposite side argue that zero rating
>> stifles innovation, leads to customers lock-in, is anti competitive
>> behavior, confuses the users on the true meaning of the Internet, denies
>> users choice, and makes policy makers lazy in ensuring proper affordable
>> internet is availed to the masses.
>>
>>
>>
>> Facebook's Head of Public Policy, Africa Ebele Okobi, and the Public
>> Policy Manager, Africa Akua Gwekye have graciously agreed to respond to
>> any queries the community has on zero rated services.
>>
>>
>>
>> *The Process*
>>
>>
>>
>> Please articulate your concerns and ask questions as we usually do when
>> we
>> have moderated debates. The facebook team will then look at the questions
>> and respond to you on Wednesday Evening. Depending on how it goes, we can
>> then see how to continue engaging with them.
>>
>>
>>
>> I think this is a great opportunity for the facebook team to unpackage
>> free basics issue, and it is my hope that the debate will be exciting
>> given
>> the prominence members of the list have given the net neutrality debate.
>>
>>
>>
>> Over to you listers! And a very warm welcome to Ebele and Akua.
>>
>>
>>
>> Warmly
>>
>> Grace
>> *_______________________________________________*
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>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
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>>
>> 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,*
>
> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
> Building
> T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000
> www.at.co.ke
>

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