[kictanet] KICTANet Digest, Vol 168, Issue 28

[Adrian Teri]

Any response/details from *Safaricom* on this? It's been ~2 months now.
Here are a couple more from last month:
 -
https://twitter.com/GMONEYizME/status/1505956691304763392?s=20&t=jYXxOcC4h9L_6PWoJEOvVw
and,
-
https://twitter.com/XZBeats/status/1506118402410225664?s=20&t=jYXxOcC4h9L_6PWoJEOvVw

As we have established and conceded that a phone number is important for
authentication especially for gov't services and thus, the real world
stakes have grown bigger. Borrowing from the Internet, why shouldn't all
the telcos adopt a Domain Name like System (DNS) for purchasing a mobile
line? A model like Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates may also be
incorporated to thoroughly assure operational and physical existence. I
don't know if The ODPC has been pronounced on this matter but they should
as subscribers are getting access to information without consent that may
be personally identifiable (PII) and it's also not theirs. Under Chapter 4
- The Bill of Rights, Article 31 articulates every person has the right to
privacy relating to their family or private affairs and also their
communications.

A relatively small fee would be needed for each year(or minimum period to
be determined by the telco?). I recognise a similar problem to IPv4
addresses as telcos have fixed prefixes(fixed resources) assigned to them
but it's an even bigger challenge as we don't want the reuse of these
numbers. I foresee a cascade of protocols and rules that would need to be
implemented e.g an individual can only have 1 line, a business 3-5 ..etc. I
have cautiously avoided the leased lines route as they are blatantly
exorbitant.

Even though I pose this challenge to #Safaricom, I don't believe it's their
sole responsibility to effect such changes. A conversation starter that
will include the CA in their responsibility of managing numbering
resources? I hope it does so.

I wonder why #Safaricom supports *eSims* but you have to visit a physical
store to activate it. With The CBK pushing for a *CBDC* and
competition for *m-pesa
*to be more *interoperable *I no longer see a mobile line being a shackle
to use services aka *high switching costs*. Why does one need to visit a
shop *physically* to activate an eSim unlike other jurisdictions where it's
not the case? Yes there will be a rise of risks such as *sim swaps *as
evidenced in other jurisdictions where a user exercises controls of their
mobile line subscriptions via web platform or app.  However, this presents
a learning & improvement opportunity from their pitfalls to forge a better
path.

For* Safaricom *customers who have swapped/ported to eSims any negative
experiences such as signal loss, call drops and/or issues with* m-pesa*?
There were issues when #Safaricom started to roll out the *011* prefix
- *https://gadgets-africa.com/2020/12/02/safaricoms-011-prefix-phone-numbers/
<https://gadgets-africa.com/2020/12/02/safaricoms-011-prefix-phone-numbers/>*

We've already seen "problems" with issues such as you must always log out
of your *m-pesa* app before changing your sim card or more prevalently
reselling/handing down your device -
*https://nation.africa/kenya/business/technology/m-pesa-why-you-must-always-log-out-before-changing-sim-card-3605912
<https://nation.africa/kenya/business/technology/m-pesa-why-you-must-always-log-out-before-changing-sim-card-3605912>.*
I
chalk this up this to inadequate sensitization/education and/or poor UX
flows.

All in all, I believe this is why #Safaricom hires the best brains to
discover, elicit, analyse, architect and implement solutions to problems.

Lastly, @Stephen Chege for 3 months (Since January) why have my folks been
getting *monthly *messages from #Safaricom to recharge a line or else they
lose it. From a reply dated *7th Sept 2020*, you stated that #*Safaricom*
adheres to the global best practice set out by the ITU of topping up a line
once every 90 days in order to be considered active. Is this not the case
anymore? Your full reply is here -
*https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2020-September/036191.html
<https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/2020-September/036191.html>*
.

Regards,
Adrian Teri
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