Hi, I am waiting for sasanet.co.ke to respond to my below request mad via their web contact-us page:-<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>Dear System Administrator,<br><br>Several users of your popular free internet-based sms service would like to know when it will resume.<br><br>Kindly let me know for my onward feedback.<br><br>Sincerely,<br><br>Alex Gakuru<br>ICT Consumers Association of Kenya<br>------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Perhaps we wait for their feedback?<br><br>/Alex <br><br><b><i>Nicholas Wambugu <nicholas@tespok.co.ke></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel="File-List"
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{mso-style-name:""; mso-gram-e:yes;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <div class="Section1"> <div class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Alex I believe you saw this on the site, isn’t it enough or what do you guys mean?<o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><strong><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Due to a system upgrade that is currently in progress, the Sasanet Free sms service and purchase of sms credits are temporarily unavailable. Please check back again later”. </span></font></b></strong><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br> <br> <strong><b><font face="Times New Roman">We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused, but strive to continually improve our service to you.<o:p></o:p></font></b></strong></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><strong><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></strong></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><strong><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></div> <div
class="MsoNormal"><strong><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></strong></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">-----Original Message-----<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> kictanet-bounces+nicholas=tespok.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+nicholas=tespok.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>Mike Theuri<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, February 21, 2007 3:10 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Nick<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [kictanet] Sasanet</span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Perhaps there is more than meets the eye considering their site seems to be up and running per a visual <span class="GramE">inspection ?</span> Is there more behind the scenes that might not be <span class="GramE">obvious ?</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="gmailquote"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On 2/19/07, <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alex Gakuru</span></b> <<a
href="mailto:alex.gakuru@yahoo.com">alex.gakuru@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wouldn't you be curious to find out a very popular free internet-based <a href="http://www.sasanet.co.ke" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.sasanet.co.ke</a> is now no longer working? I wonder why? <br> <br> /Alex<br> <br> <b><i><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mike Theuri <<a href="mailto:mike.theuri@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">mike.theuri@gmail.com</a>></span></i></b> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="GramE"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex, <br> <br> Thank you for sharing the
blog on the anti-consumer setting in the country.</span></font></span> The blog has very useful information that is not being shared with Kenyan consumers and it is <span class="GramE">key</span> that consumer rights are upheld. <span class="GramE">Your blog out to be brought to more attention of key stakeholders in ICT and to consumers alike.</span> <br> <br> Yes, the Ministry and CCK are best placed to authoritatively comment on such an issue. However I believe that what AT&T is discontinuing is the ability to use a "call back" number from Kenya to the US. It is very likely that the call back numbers which are 0800 numbers are no longer profitable for AT&T especially given that they cost as high as $3/min. Technically they are supposed to be cheaper to use than if one was to "call back" the US direct from any other country be it Kenya or the UK. However with AT&T's rate to call the US from Kenya as high as it is and with local providers beating their tariffs
they may have opted to drop this service. What this might do, is it might leave AT&T US based customers unable to call the US using their AT&T calling cards for what would otherwise be exorbitant prices. <br> <br> The wording of the AT&T notice on the lack of no future support for calls originating from Kenya wasn't very clear and after some digging around it appears that it referred to users of AT&T who utilize call back services while traveling overseas, it might just be due to stiff competition now that VOIP has been deregulated and tariffs have fallen (though not low enough) and that no one in their right mind would be willing to pay $3+ per minute for a call to the US when for a extremely small fraction one could make the same phone call at a lower rate. <br> <br> Even then the tariffs in general are not fair enough for Kenyan consumers and it is an uphill battle to enforce changes when some of the largest tax payers happen to be communication
providers. It is unthinkable that the government would do much to jeopardize a large and steady tax revenue stream to save the honorable consumer. Increasingly huge profits in a formerly depressed and now recovering economy like ours raise the question whether the consumer is getting a fair deal. It is akin to oil companies making several times over some nations GDP in profits and claiming that they are struggling themselves and offering the best prices possible. Price regulation in the industry is something that should be looked into to further to try and strike a fair balance between <span class="GramE">consumers</span> needs and investors return on equity. <br> <br> Mike<o:p></o:p></div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="gmailquote"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On 2/18/07, <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alex Gakuru</span></b> <<a href="mailto:alex.gakuru@yahoo.com" target="_blank"
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> alex.gakuru@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mike:<br> <br> Although this is a consumer issue, you may notice we have quite some domestic wars with the prevailing anti-consumer setting, <a href="http://ictconsumer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://ictconsumer.blogspot.com/</a> for example.<br> <br> By engaging foreign networks, I am afraid the ICT Consumers Association of Kenya could be considered acting <i><span style="font-style: italic;">ultra vires</span></i> thus the Ministry of Information and Communications, CCK, and perhaps also Foreign Affairs are best suited to comment. <br> <br> Would a provocative question, like "why has a private US telco unilaterally cut-off communication from Kenya to the US
jeopardizing both a basic human right and the national outsourcing strategy" earn a quick response from government? <br> <br> <span class="GramE">rgds</span>,<br> <br> Alex<br> <br> <b><i><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mike Theuri <<a href="mailto:mike.theuri@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> mike.theuri@gmail.com</a>></span></i></b> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As an after thought, this may mean calls dialed through this number which by itself is a very expensive option and which may reflect the effects of voip and lowered costs of international calls: <br> <br> Kenya 0-800-2201-15 (608) <o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="gmailquote"><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On 2/18/07, <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Theuri</span></b> <<a href="mailto:mike.theuri@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> mike.theuri@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Does anyone know why the below might be the <span class="GramE">case ?</span> AT&T printed this in small print on bills sent to customer in January. <span class="GramE">Considering <br> that</span> AT&T is the largest telco in the US this is a serious issue :<br> <br> International Call Origination: <br> Effective March 1, 2007, our International Call<br> Origination service will change. Current access<br> <span class="GramE">numbers</span> for calls originating internationally<br> <span
class="GramE">will</span> change. Please visit <a href="http://att.com/dialing-guide" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">att.com/dialing-guide </a><br> <span class="GramE">to</span> print the new dialing-guide for your reference; <br> or call the number on your bill to order a new<br> <span class="GramE">dialing</span> guide. Calls from Kenya to US will<br> <span class="GramE">no</span> longer be supported. International <span class="GramE">to <br> international</span> calling from St. Martin will no <br> longer be supported. Also, <span class="GramE">International <br> service</span> will be expanded to over 60 additional<br> <span class="GramE">countries</span>. To find out rates and countries where<br> <span class="GramE">we</span> provide service, please visit <br> <a href="http://att.com/intl-rates" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">att.com/intl-rates </a>.<br style=""> <!--[if
!supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style=""> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></font></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br> _______________________________________________<br> <span class="GramE">kictanet</span> mailing list<br> <a href="mailto:kictanet@kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">kictanet@kictanet.or.ke</a><br> <a href="http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br> <br> Please unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com </a><o:p></o:p></span></font></div> <div
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