[kictanet] Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet

[waudo siganga]

Hi Kivuva/Hussein. I need a little more enlightenment:

1. Is the "Zero-Rating" issue a debate or has it already been concluded
   that it is a bad thing? There is a hint that supporting it may leave
   one in not very good standing..
2. According to Kivuva's well-written article "Zero rating infringes on
   fundamental human rights by denying users access to the Internet".
   Are other service providers, including those offering "full" Internet
   Access at a fee, stopped or hindered from offering their services
   when some companies offer the zero-rating? Can both forms operate at
   the same time?
3. In Q2 above I have "full" in quotes because in my use of Internet I
   am yet to come across a truly "neutral Internet" i.e. sometimes I try
   to access certain websites or services and you are unable as you get
   a message that you cannot access that site/service from your country,
   meaning many services providers already practise packet filtering.
4. Hussein gives certain characteristics of a "market" but probably
   leaves out a very critical one: Choice. The best market is the one
   where ALL service providers are given the opportunity to offer their
   services and consumers are left to choose. At the end of the day it
   is the consumers that decide which companies and services survive and
   which wilt along the way. Why choose for the consumer beforehand by
   barring certain services or business models?

5. A couple of years ago the cost and affordability of Internet access
   was a key ICT public policy issue. We said it was a major impediment
   to the spread of Internet use. How do we reconcile that with
   opposition to free (ok "free" as Hussein corrected me) services even
   if they are only offering a slice of what an open Internet offers.

On a lighter note these days I am very happy with Facebook especially
the Groups, as I get to know what is going on in the village. But I have
been accessing them using a paid service perhaps I can save a few
shillings if I got to know how to connect for free.

I know Kivuva and Hussein have had extensive opportunity to study this
area of Zero-Rating and also to listen o experts so I apologize in
advance if my questions do not sound sophisticated.

Kind Regards,

Waudo

On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, at 05:07 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva wrote:
> We are having the most vibrant debate on Net Neutrality on the list in
> a long while. Thanks for all contributors, and GG for initiating this
> timely discussion. It's exciting to see many people interested with
> the zero rating debate. I'm sure Ebele and Akua from Facebook are
> fascinated by the dynamism of this group. Thank you Ebele and Akua for
> graciously joining this debate.

> I'll keep my opinions to myself and only ask questions.

>

>  1. Does Facebook support Net Neutrality?

>  2. Does Facebook's zero rating contravene net neutrality principle?

>  3. Will Facebook take "zero rated services" to areas without any
>     connectivity infrastructure?

>  4. Will Facebook zero rated services reach all the people, even those
>     with feature phones? Does fb have non app based Free basics?. What
>     percentage of your target market has access to smart phones?

>  5. Which network operators does Facebook work with? Are all ISPs
>     welcomed to the party?

>  6. Will free basics help reduce the cost of internet access?

>  7. Does Facebook pay ISPs to offer the "walled garden" to end users?

>  8. Why is Facebook running campaigns for "free basics" in a way to
>     suggest that it is  giving free access to the internet? Is FB and
>     a few vanilla websites the Internet?

>  9. Facebook is considered affluent. Would it consider providing free
>     internet to everyone?

> 10. Is free basics bridging the digital divide or creating confusion
>     of those who cannot differentiate between Facebook and the
>     Internet? Is Facebook keen that users from the developing world
>     have access to the whole wealth of knowledge and information that
>     the Internet provides?

>

> Sincerely,

> Mwendwa Kivuva
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