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<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><STRONG>Provoking
Indeed!</STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"></SPAN> </P><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Alden’s two articles are
peculiar, provoking, and perhaps shallow to an otherwise sure prosperity EASSy
big step, as clearly summarised in the article’s first paragraph. While NEPAD<A
title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="mhtml:mid://00000196/#_ftn1"
name=_ftnref1><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote">[1]</SPAN></SPAN></A> and EU are
<U>negotiating<A title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2"
href="mhtml:mid://00000196/#_ftn2" name=_ftnref2><SPAN
class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote">[2]</SPAN></SPAN></A> </U>financing of
the project, the author claims, “African governments and World Bank that <I>are
being asked</I> to help finance <I>another</I> … <I>this one is called</I>…
etc”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">In real terms (and for
conceptualisation purpose), the cited US$ 200 million is far short of the
estimated US$ </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">213 million</SPAN><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> Kenya alone spends annually
educating her children abroad, mainly in the UK, and yet this US$ 200m is the
cost for the entire EASSy cable from South Africa upwards to southern Sudan. The
author even gets emotive in trying too hard to discredit the project. Please
give Africa credit sometimes!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The
“<I>parastatial </I>telecommunication bureaucracies” is distasteful since
parastatals such as Safaricom Limited<B> </B>in Kenya are extremely profitable
and other investors should explore similar partnerships with the various EASSy
governments?</SPAN><FONT size=3> </FONT></P>
<DIV style="mso-element: footnote-list"><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><BR clear=all><FONT size=3>
<HR align=left width="33%" SIZE=1>
</FONT>
<DIV id=ftn1 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="mhtml:mid://00000196/#_ftnref1"
name=_ftn1><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><FONT
size=2>[1]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2> NEPAD
is the <B>Political</B> and <B>Economic</B> arm of the African Union, politics
and economics being inseparable.</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV id=ftn2 style="mso-element: footnote">
<P class=MsoFootnoteText style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=""
style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="mhtml:mid://00000196/#_ftnref2"
name=_ftn2><SPAN class=MsoFootnoteReference><SPAN lang=EN-GB><SPAN
style="mso-special-character: footnote"><FONT
size=2>[2]</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2> URL
</FONT><A
href="http://www.connectivityafrica.ca/HTML/PAREN_investment_report_final.pdf"><FONT
color=#800080
size=2>http://www.connectivityafrica.ca/HTML/PAREN_investment_report_final.pdf</FONT></A><FONT
size=2> pp. 67</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></SPAN><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>PS: I have attached my short reaction
</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alex</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=vkyalo@kenet.or.ke href="mailto:vkyalo@kenet.or.ke">vkyalo</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=kictanet@kictanet.or.ke
href="mailto:kictanet@kictanet.or.ke">'Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 09, 2005 8:05
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Kictanet] FW: Interesting and
provocative essay on EASSy</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Good read regarding
EASSy,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Jim
Forster [mailto:forster@cisco.com] <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, November 08, 2005 7:07
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> vkyalo<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> David Ochanda<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Interesting and provocative
essay on EASSy</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello Victor,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Nice to meet you. I've been following and
starting to participate in some issues and activities in networking in
<st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>. I heard of this essay by
Roland Alden and forwarded it to people that I know that I thought might be
interested. I don't have any particular discussion group for it;
I'm sure you're involved in discussion groups that might be interested in
this, so go ahead and forward it and discuss it as you see fit. I
did see a reference to Richard Bell's article on a Kictanet archive.
I hadn't known about Kictanet; those people might be interested in the
essay.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In September Richard Bell, the founder of Kenya Data
Network, wrote a brief about EASSy, the proposed East African undersea
fiber optic cable, which was critical of the planned financial
structure. Now Roland Alden, a telecommunications consultant,
has written a very interesting and provocative essay on EASSy as well.
Here's the opening paragraph:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=apple-style-span><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Just say No to
EASSy</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=apple-style-span><FONT face=Verdana
size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=apple-style-span><I><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">by Roland H.
Alden</SPAN></FONT></I></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=apple-style-span><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=apple-style-span><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">African governments and global
institutions like the World Bank are being asked to help finance another
telecommunications project. This one is called </SPAN></FONT></SPAN><A
href="http://eassy.org/"><SPAN class=apple-style-span><FONT color=#003eee
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #003eee">EASSy</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></A><SPAN
class=apple-style-span><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> (East
African Submarine Cable System). While more and cheaper telecommunications is
surely needed all across <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> , East
African citizens would do well to ask their governments to take a step back
from EASSy and find better ways to sponsor telecommunications projects that
will result in real progress. As it stands today, EASSy could become a giant
step backwards for Africa; and, with a US$200 million price tag, it has the
potential of being an economic disaster <st1:place
w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> can
ill-afford.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 16px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I encourage you to read the rest of the essay
at <A href="http://www.ralden.com/C1/EASSy"><FONT color=#002fe3><SPAN
style="COLOR: #002fe3">http://www.ralden.com/C1/EASSy</SPAN></FONT></A> and
would welcome your thoughts on this very important
issue.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> -- Jim
Forster<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px">
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Distinguished
Engineer<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Cisco
Systems<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">San Jose</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">CA</st1:State></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>--<BR>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by
AVG Free Edition.<BR>Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/162 - Release
Date: 11/5/2005<BR></FONT></P><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>--<BR>No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>Checked by
AVG Free Edition.<BR>Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/162 - Release
Date: 11/5/2005<BR></FONT></P>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>kictanet mailing
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