[kictanet] Coming Soon: Free Internet to Rural Areas (There is never a free ride)

Fri Nov 20 18:20:22 EAT 2015

Walu,

Here are the transcipts from the IGF on zero rating, I'm not sure there is
a report yet.

 A dialogue on "zero rating" and network neutrality Main Meeting Hall:
http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/187-igf-2015/transcripts-igf-2015/2457-2015-11-12-a-dialogue-on-zero-rating-and-network-neutrality-main-meeting-hall-2

IGF summary by Diplo Foundation:
http://digitalwatch.giplatform.org/sites/default/files/IGFReportWEB.pdf

2015 11 11 WS 197 Net neutrality: yes, no or maybe? Workshop Room 9:
http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/187-igf-2015/transcripts-igf-2015/2340-2015-11-11-ws-197-net-neutrality-yes-no-or-maybe-workshop-room-9

2015 11 11 WS156 Zero-rating and neutrality policies in developing
countries Workshop Room:
http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/187-igf-2015/transcripts-igf-2015/2380-2015-11-11-ws156-zero-rating-and-neutrality-policies-in-developing-countries-workshop-room-4

Regards

______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya

"There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on
higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson

On 19 November 2015 at 08:24, Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Good points @Mwendwa,
>
> Plse share the specific url that captures the IGF 2015 discussions on the
> same.
>
> regards.
>
> walu.
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> *To:* jwalu at yahoo.com
> *Cc:* Mwendwa Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 18, 2015 2:05 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Coming Soon: Free Internet to Rural Areas
> (There is never a free ride)
>
> Net Neutrality and Zero Rating was the trending topic in this year's IGF
> in Brazil. People took sides depending on their interests. For example,  a
> research in Asia revealed that zero rated services were an entry point for
> people who had no access to Internet, and those who used zero rated
> services went on and converted to paid users after seeing the benefits of
> the Internet. Another research shows that people don't use the Internet not
> because of the cost, but because they don't need it. Weird conclusion I can
> say. And some interesting facts is, in communities where zero rated
> services were the norm, the users did not know the difference between the
> Internet and Facebook. That is a major problem if you ask me. Another
> research that Mozilla Foundation was involved in found that when users are
> given Internet bundles, they accessed diverse types of websites, not just
> FB and Wikipedia. But the big question was, who funded these types of
> research? An interested party would of course ensure research results are
> tilted to their interests.
> All that not withstanding, we should pay keen interests to the following
> points,
> 1. Zero rating is illegal in most of Europe,  And USA. Even in Brazil,
> zero rating is not acceptable. Ask yourself why.
> 2. Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) is a regulator and not a policy
> maker. Without policy on Net Neutrality, they have nothing to enforce thus
> leaving market players to their own devices, including abuse. Us the
> community, in an all inclusive manner should develop a Net Neutrality
> policy that can be adopted.
> 3. CA are usually given targets to ensure universal coverage of
> communication services. I am sure they are very happy to maintain the
> status quo since they will report zero rated services as a metric of
> increased access. This will be a big lie because they will have denied the
> rural folks access to the Internet. We all know one website is not the
> Internet. The best practice is to have the regulator pressure telcos
> increase rollout in under-served regions as part of their Universal Service
> obligations.
> 4. Zero rating infringes on fundamental human rights by denying users
> access to the Internet. It may be a conspiracy to keep developing countries
> in the darkness of the information age. Refer to point 1 above.
> 5. Let us advocate for universal coverage, better utilisation of USF,
> telecommunication infrastructure sharing, increased road coverage,
> accessible wayleaves and cable ducts,  and affordable energy. All these
> will ensure the COST of internet comes down to a level where every citizen
> can afford.
> 6. Countries with no proper access to the Internet will find it difficult
> to participate in the Internet Economy. And isn't the entire world now an
> Internet economy?
> There is more, but these points are what comes to mind.
> (errors and omissions are mine, sent on the go using a handheld device. No
> zero rated service used)
> On Nov 18, 2015 12:51 PM, "Davis Onsakia via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> This is extremely a 'slippery' topic to deal with.
>
> It is based on the 'walled garden' concept where you can access the shamba
> but pick what only I've planted there - might not have considered your
> welfare when planning on the garden and the crops there. Hence you have the
> option not to access my 'fenced garden' and live on or access my garden and
> specifically enjoy what I've there!
>
> Some people have argued that it is better to have some 'Internet', do note
> the quotation marks, to some areas of the Net like FB, Wikipedia than no
> Internet at all! Clearly this violate the net neutrality spirit, but then
> what it is the lesser evil? No Internet at all? What am I willing to pay or
> relinquish so that I can access the 'Free Basics'? Clearly there is nothing
> for free! Can the government step in and give the bare minimums for this
> offering? This might be my preferred approach - some 'free Internet'
> knowing well what it means, than no Internet at all.
>
> Leaving the whole thing unregulated is not very palatable to me....I think
> countries like India have chosen this route, stand to be corrected though.
>
>
> Best Regards,
> Davis M Onsakia
> "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the
> shore for a very long time."
>
> On 18 November 2015 at 12:31, Liz Orembo via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>
> Perhaps its time we start asking how far the government has gone in
> deploying NOFBI and its last mile connectivity. Universal access fund?
> We will continue facing these kind of net neutrality issues and other
> related problems because much of our internet access policies rely on
> mobile networks.
> On Nov 18, 2015 9:39 AM, "Ali Hussein via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> Mildred
>
> Zero-Rating means it's only free when accessing say Facebook. :-) Sorry,
> not as free as you think. And the business model is one based on
> advertising. It's instructive that Facebook for example uses ARPU as a key
> metric to track performance.
>
> *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 18 Nov 2015, at 9:10 AM, Mildred Achoch via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> I agree with Mr. Ali Hussein that there is never a free ride. Those big
> boys and girls of the Internet have seen an opportunity to profit from the
> lack of reliable and affordable Internet in rural areas. I don't know how
> they will profit but I am sure they have done their research. These people
> don't think short-term. They stand to gain in the long run.
>
> On the other hand, FREE Internet in rural areas?! Wow! Speaking as someone
> whose work involves a lot of heavy Internet use, and who has no office to
> access it through, this is very good news! I can even consider moving to
> these rural areas once the deal is up and running. I am sure there are many
> more people like me. Maybe this will promote urban-rural migration, thereby
> contributing to the development of rural areas?
>
> Regards,
> Mildred Achoch.
>
> Check out the Rock 'n' roll film festival, Kenya TV Channel!
> http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com
>
> My tree-saving e-business card is here: http://twtbizcard.com/roffeke
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 8:52 AM, James Kagwe via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> Looking at it from the other side of the fence, the truth is that Internet
> service providers in Kenya including the Telcos have maintained the price
> of internet quite high even for the middle class living in urban areas.
> Most of us can only enjoy reliable internet in the office only. This is
> even after Kenya connected to at least 4 undersea cables.
> Given the prevailing circumstances there's no hope for reliable and
> affordable Internet to the rurals in the near future. This is with the
> benefits of Internet as demonstrated by research not withstanding. I don't
> see anything wrong with what they're doing. In any case we in Nairobi and
> other urban areas will continue paying the unreasonable costs as we have
> been doing in the past.
> James
> On Nov 18, 2015 8:16 AM, "Ali Hussein via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
> Listers
>
> I'm really concerned about the continued silence of the Regulator
> regarding Zero-Rating of certain services bundled by telcos in this country
> in partnership with the big boys and girls of the Internet. Are we not
> clear how this continued silence and tacit approval of this practice that
> had basically been outlawed in their home countries is going to impact our
> nascent Internet economy?
>
>
> http://www.nation.co.ke/business/Free-Internet-to-rural-areas/-/996/2960730/-/10o59uez/-/index.html
>
> We deserve some action from the Communication Authority.
>
> *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
>
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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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> 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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