[kictanet] Online discussion on State of Broadband in Kenya

Wed Apr 24 13:28:22 EAT 2019

In our definition of broadband, apart from speed we need to look at service
properties too.
It seems the underlying problem is we think of broadband more as a
competition issue
than as a public good and thus end up not emphasizing important attributes
such as quality, security etc.
Best regards,
Ronald Ojino

On Wed, Apr 24, 2019 at 11:12 AM Ali Hussein via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Kivuva and all
>
> Let's start with the definition so that we are on the same page.  Besides
> a 'Kenyan Translation' let's agree first what Broadband is. Because a car
> is a car but there are Mercedeses, Teslas, Toyotas, and the thing that some
> Governor in Kenya displayed some weeks back.
>
> According to Wikipedia, Broadband is:-
>
> *Broadband* is wide bandwidth
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth_(signal_processing)> data
> transmission <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmission> which
> transports multiple signals and traffic types. The medium can be coaxial
> cable <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable>, optical fiber
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber>, radio
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio> or twisted pair
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair>. In the context of Internet
> access <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_access>, *broadband* is
> used to mean any high-speed Internet access that is *always on and faster
> than** dial-up access
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial-up_Internet_access> **over *
> traditional analog
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_old_telephone_service> or ISDN
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISDN> PSTN
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_switched_telephone_network>
> services.
>
>
> Based on the definition above what is the broadband coverage in Kenya and
> what is the Universal Service Fund
> <https://ca.go.ke/industry/universal-access/purpose-of-the-fund/> of the
> Communications Authority doing to ensure Kenyans are not disenfranchised?
> My own thumb suck estimation is that Broadband coverage in this country
> stands at less than 10%. And I'm being generous.
>
>
> Most of us know this. Beyond the major towns, there is almost no
> connectivity to speak of. How is this impacting citizens? We know for
> example that today you can hardly transact with the govt without online
> services. Most Kenyans don't have access to computers let alone Smart
> Phones. And when you have a Smart Phone try connecting to eCitizen. A visit
> to the dentist is less painful.
>
>
> According to the latest Communications Authority Statistics, <http:///> The
> data/Internet market in the country remained vibrant during the period
> under review. As at 31st December 2018, the total number of active
> data/Internet subscriptions stood at 45.7 million of which 47.9 percent
> were on broadband. Consider those numbers and then consider the population
> of this country. And then ask yourself how reliable these statistics are. I
> leave it here.
>
>
> The impact of accessibility or lack thereof of Broadband in today's world
> cannot be gainsaid. We must have an executable plan in this country to
> ensure the disenfranchised are brought on board.
>
>
> *Ali Hussein*
>
> *Principal*
>
> *AHK & Associates*
>
>
>
> Tel: +254 713 601113
>
> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>
> Skype: abu-jomo
>
> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>
>
> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing,
>
> Chiromo Road, Westlands,
>
> Nairobi, Kenya.
>
> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely
> mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the
> organizations that I work with.
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2019 at 8:36 AM Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Dear Listers,
>>
>> As notified last week, we are conducting an assessment on the state of
>> play and impact of broadband in Kenya, broadly looking at the
>> socio-economic impact on consumers, businesses and various sectors like
>> agriculture, education, healthcare, finance and government.
>>
>> We are looking at real life examples of impact of broadband, challenges
>> we face in increasing impact of broadband and recommendations on
>> interventions needed to address the challenges identified.
>>
>> For this discussion, we define broadband as any fast internet. Fast
>> enough to serve your intended purpose. We can have an extended definition
>> through the discussion.
>>
>> Some of the questions we should answer are:
>>
>>    1. What is the current state of broadband in Kenya? What is the
>>    current coverage of broadband in Kenya? Do you have broadband internet in
>>    your area? How affordable is the available broadband?
>>    2. What barriers are there in increasing impact of broadband in Kenya?
>>    3. What recommendations can counter the barriers identified in
>>    increasing impact of broadband?
>>
>> Looking forward to a grrat debate.
>> Sincerely,
>> ______________________
>> Mwendwa Kivuva
>> _______________________________________________
>> kictanet mailing list
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/
>>
>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com
>>
>> 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.
>>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/
>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ronojinx%40gmail.com
>
> 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.
>

-- 
Faith is a living and unshakable confidence. A belief in God so assured
that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20190424/67bca2e9/attachment.htm>