Well put Victor, i suppose the government and related agencies seem to have followed the proposal you have outlined which is very elaborate, i suppose the challenge could be getting the ``people`` or Wanjiku for lack of a better word to appreciate this resources, i am curious since i havent seen this on the list you just posted, could it be an area worth exploring?<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 10:15 AM, Victor Gathara <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:v-gathara@dfid.gov.uk">v-gathara@dfid.gov.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial">Barrack</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial">When I did a study on the fibre optic cables a couple of
years ago I proposed the following actions by donors to help Kenya reap the
benefits of fibre coming to our shores:</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span><font face="Arial">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">targeted
funding for the ICT industry to help mitigate the effect of the global
recession; </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">direct
investments in infrastructure to help spread points of presence to rural
areas;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">supporting
a Kenyan success story in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector through
marketing support, technical and financial assistance (borrowing loosely from
the MPESA model); </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">lobbying
the government for regulation aimed at preventing monopolies developing and
speeding up the passing of the Freedom of Information (FOI) act </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">encouraging
debate on the benefits of the sub-marine fibre in the public domain through
collaboration with the media and supporting the Ministry of Information and
Communications communication strategy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">factor
support for the development of a vibrant Kenya ICT industry in the Enterprise
Development Programme </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">lobby
for ICT issues among donors</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">support
for the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTAnet)<span> - to
transform it to a effective national association</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;"><font color="#0000ff"></font></p></font></span></span></span></div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial">The
danger at the time was that many viewed the arrival of the cables as the 'silver
bullet' that would slay the problems facing the ICT industry in East Africa and
in so doing catalyse the ICT (followed by the economic) revolution. It
shouldn't surprise us that this hasn't happened as connectivity
is only but a part of the issues that need to be resolved. Its also early
days yet. I believe change in this arena will happen bit by bit (pun intended)
until we have critical mass where more massive changes (the expected revolution)
will then take place. The pace of the change will be dependent on how quickly
the transformative actions above are taken.</font></span></div>
<div><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div><span><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial">Victor</font></span></div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" size="2" face="Arial"></font><br></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us">
<hr>
<font size="2" face="Tahoma"><b>From:</b>
kictanet-bounces+v-gathara=<a href="http://dfid.gov.uk" target="_blank">dfid.gov.uk</a>@<a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Bv-gathara" target="_blank">kictanet-bounces+v-gathara</a>=<a href="http://dfid.gov.uk" target="_blank">dfid.gov.uk</a>@<a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Barrack Otieno<br><b>Sent:</b> 07 July 2010 10:31<br><b>To:</b>
Victor Gathara<br><b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br><b>Subject:</b>
Re: [kictanet] Kenya IGF 2010 Mailing List Discussions Day 2 of 8Theme :
Infrastructure Issues - Impact of the Fibre OpticCable IGF Mailing List
Discussions<br></font><br></div>
<div></div>Thank you Charles and Sam for your observation and positive outlook.
I agree with Sam, having a highway without vehicles to ply on is a mirage
nonetheless Charles is right in pointing out the very fact with the few vehicles
on the highway the future looks bright. That nothwithstanding and considering
the fact that 70 percent of our economy is composed of the informal sector we
need a sustained campaign that will ensure this segment is brought onto the
Super highway.<br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 6:26 AM, Sam Aguyo <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:saguyo@yahoo.com" target="_blank">saguyo@yahoo.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Dear
Listeners,<br><br>I think we need to be more inward looking, the golden murmur
should have been Seacom is down so our BPOs are suffering huge
losses. Indeed we have the superhighway but apparently not vehicles to
run on it. When the Anti Terrorist Police Unit first released its rapid
communication channels i had worries since it was a <a href="http://yahoo.com" target="_blank">yahoo.com</a> address, am glad they quickly changed and now it
is <a href="http://go.ke" target="_blank">go.ke</a>, a good development.
We now have 3 cables if am not mistaken but if there are no Buses not even
matatus to ply on them, then they are a mirage.<br><br>Considerable impact
will be felt when we stop, think, ponder and seize the opportunity that comes
with the infrastructure than wait to complain that the infrastructure itself
is not in itself giving business opportunity.<br><br>Well Walu, am already
doing research on something related.<br><br>
<div> </div>Sam Aguyo<br>
<div><br></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2" face="Tahoma">
<hr size="1">
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Solomon Mburu Kamau <<a href="mailto:solo.mburu@gmail.com" target="_blank">solo.mburu@gmail.com</a>><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:saguyo@yahoo.com" target="_blank">saguyo@yahoo.com</a>
<div><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> KICTAnet
ICT Policy Discussions <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br></div><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tue, July 6, 2010 5:15:39 PM
<div>
<div></div>
<div><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re:
[kictanet] Kenya IGF 2010 Mailing List Discussions Day 2 of 8 Theme :
Infrastructure Issues - Impact of the Fibre Optic Cable IGF Mailing List
Discussions<br></div></div></font>
<div>
<div></div>
<div><br>One of the views in regards to the undersea cables, is
realistically<br>speaking, the current situation. As Walu pointed out, all
users of<br>.com have been affectedby the effects of Seacom's state of
affairs.<br><br>This is perhaps one of the many reasons as to why the Undersea
Cables<br>were a 'mess' from the word go. It beats logic why the breakdown
or<br>whatever has not been restored to its full capacity, as we
speak.<br>Could there be sabotage?<br><br>Back to your query: The
socio-economioc impact of the cables.<br>1. They are anticipated to open more
job opportunities (BPO, E-stuff)<br>2. They would generally improve the
economic and security of countries<br>thus enhancing interdepence and social
closeness.<br>3. The most notable impact, in my view, was the momentus speed
that<br>would usher quick businesses thus economic growth.<br><br>The youth
would have benefitted greatly considering that they<br>constitute to the
majority of workforce. In such a view, growth in<br>countries where the cables
pass would be great, maybe +10% p.a.<br>The value addition, as of now, remains
to be seen!<br><br>On 06/07/2010, Walubengo J <<a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a>>
wrote:<br>> Barrack,<br>><br>> internet traffic is truly messed up
down here. Considering that our domestic<br>> networks+local content are
relatively non-existent we are heavy consumers<br>> international traffic -
even my email, yours and many others are .com and so<br>> they will try to
head out of the country through constrained links given<br>> that Seacom
has gone down with probably 50%? of our international<br>>
capacity...<br>><br>> it only emphasis the sorry state of affairs that
despite the pomp<br>> surrounding the advent of the undersea cable, there
is yet to be that<br>> socio-economic revolution that was expected. Maybe
there is but I have not<br>> yet heard about BPO jobs flooding our market,
eLearning taking off,<br>> eCommerce and the rest of the goodies happening
because we now have the<br>> superhighway down at the coast...indeed
someone can do a good PhD thesis on<br>> why this is so and inform us
exactly when the IT miracle will happen (the<br>> Indian
style).<br>><br>> walu.<br>><br>><br>><br>> --- On Tue,
7/6/10, Barrack Otieno <<a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com" target="_blank">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>><br>> From:
Barrack Otieno <<a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com" target="_blank">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a>><br>> Subject: Re: [kictanet]
Kenya IGF 2010 Mailing List Discussions Day 2 of 8<br>> Theme :
Infrastructure Issues - Impact of the Fibre Optic Cable IGF Mailing<br>>
List Discussions<br>> To: <a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a><br>> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy
Discussions" <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br>> Date: Tuesday,
July 6, 2010, 2:42 PM<br>><br>> Listers , there is very loud silence
with regard to Infrastructure issues i<br>> suppose we have adopted a wait
and see approach, i can hear murmus across<br>> various lists within the
country as well as regionally that seacom is down<br><span>> <a href="http://www.seacomblog.com/team-seacom/2010/07/seacom-service-down-seacom-actively-seeking-solutions" target="_blank">http://www.seacomblog.com/team-seacom/2010/07/seacom-service-down-seacom-actively-seeking-solutions</a>,</span><br>
>
probably we are getting used to this scenario, however is this
right?<br>><br>><br>> On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Barrack Otieno
<<a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com" target="_blank">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a>><br>> wrote:<br>><br>>
Dear Listers,<br>><br>> Apologies for starting the thread late and
thanks<br>> to all those who responded actively on the first day, the
thread is<br>> still open. Today we look at Infrastructure issues, a quick
glance<br>> through last years report brings to mind the Pomp that greeted
the<br>> TEAMS and SEACOM initiative, one year down the line, it would only
be<br>> good to review the milestones we have made this far, going through
an<br>> earlier discussion on this list, i noted an interesting article
posted<br>> by listers that mentioned the fact that the undersea cable has
led to a<br>> boom in Spam coming from the this region, the study was
conducted by<br>> Symantec, i know this is just a tip of the ICEBERG and
would like to<br>> look at the issue from a Social perspective as well as
an economic<br>> perspective, are there real (tangible benefits) that the
cables have<br>> brought or is it euphoria, do we have indicators that show
how the<br>> country has benefited?, what do the various consituencies have
to say?<br>> Consumer advocates, Youth Representatives, the Private
Sector?..the<br>> discussion is open<br>><br>> --<br>> Barrack O.
Otieno<br>> +41767892272<br>> Skype:
barrack.otieno<br>><br>><br>><br>><br>> --<br>> Barrack O.
Otieno<br>> +41767892272<br>> Skype:
barrack.otieno<br>><br>><br>> -----Inline Attachment
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