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Yes Tichi. I think it was announced early last week and debate has been going on on other lists. <div><br></div><div>Rgds</div><div>GG<br><br><div><div id="SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div>> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:43:19 +0000<br>> From: tnyasani@kulahappy.com<br>> Subject: [kictanet] ETHIOPIAN GOVT. BANS SKYPE, GOOGLE TALK AND ALL OTHER VOIP SERVICES<br>> CC: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<br>> To: ggithaiga@hotmail.com<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> Hey Listers,<br>> <br>> Has anyone come across this information?<br>> <br>> Regards,<br>> Tichi<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> ETHIOPIAN GOVT BAN ON SKYPE:<br>> <br>> The Ethiopian government, Al Jazeera reports, has criminalized the <br>> use of Skype and other VoIP services like Google Talk. Using VoIP <br>> services is now punishable by up to 15 years in prison.<br>> This law actually passed last month, but mostly went unnoticed outside <br>> of the country. Ethiopian authorities argue that they imposed these <br>> bans because of national security concerns and to protect the state's <br>> telecommunications monopoly. The country only has one ISP, the <br>> state-owned Ethio Telecom, and has been filtering its citizen's <br>> Internet access for quite some time now to suppress opposition blogs <br>> and other news outlets.<br>> <br>> <br>> USE SKYPE, GO TO PRISON<br>> <br>> <br>> As for Skype and other VoIP services, the new law doesn't just <br>> criminalize their usage, but the Ministry of Communication and <br>> Information Technology now has the power to supervise and issue <br>> licenses to all privately owned companies that import equipment used <br>> for the communication of information.? It's worth noting that the new <br>> law also prohibits audio and video data traffic via social media. It's <br>> not clear how exactly the government plans to enforce this <br>> restriction, but a potential 15-year prison term will likely keep most <br>> people from using Skype in Ethiopia anytime soon.<br>> <br>> Reporters Without Borders also reports that Ethio Telecom installed a <br>> system to block access to the Tor network, which allows users to surf <br>> the Web anonymously. The organization notes that the ISP must be using <br>> relatively sophisticated Deep Packet Inspection to filter out this <br>> traffic.<br>> <br>> According to Internet filtering and censorship watchdog , Ethiopia <br>> currently has the second lowest Internet penetration rate in <br>> sub-Saharan Africa and just around 700,000 of the country's 84 million <br>> citizens had Internet access in 2010<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> Quoting Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com>:<br>> <br>> >> On the other hand , according to Wikipedia, e-government refers to<br>> >> digital interactions between a government and its Citizens<br>> >><br>> >> *Questions*<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> >> 5. The government has embarked on a number of e-government initiatives, to<br>> >> what extent has the Citizenry embraced e-government? What steps should the<br>> >> country take to ensure the citizens fully embrace e - government?*<br>> >> *The floor is open<br>> >><br>> >><br>> > Thanks Barrack, let me take the open floor. :)<br>> > I Like the UK's e-governmnet motto "Digital by default".<br>> > http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm. It shows real commitment to take<br>> > government services to the people, not the other way round.<br>> ><br>> > We have an e-Governance Secretariat established by the government of Kenya (<br>> > http://www.e-government.go.ke/). The main objective in the website was to<br>> ><br>> > "oversee conceptualization, design and coordination of implementation of<br>> > information technology activities in the civil service that are geared<br>> > towards realization of full e-Government in public service delivery."<br>> ><br>> > Essentially, the term e-Government also known as Digital Government, refers<br>> > to 'How government utilizes IT, ICT and other telecommunication<br>> > technologies, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness in the public<br>> > sector' (Jeong, 2007)<br>> ><br>> > The government of Kenya approved a national ICT policy in consultation with<br>> > relevant agencies which recognized the problems of the different disjoint<br>> > government systems, duplication and lack of enabling infrastructure. Since<br>> > then the government has created systems for applying for public service<br>> > jobs (is it working?), tracking status of passports (dead), exam results<br>> > notifications (working), a government procurement portal, and submitting<br>> > tax returns and declaring customs online (perfect). Many other services<br>> > are still at infant stage but it is still a step in the right direction.<br>> ><br>> > Other successful e-government strategies by the government are:<br>> ><br>> > 1. Establishing a data center and implementation of a shared services<br>> > platform where common services are integrated and managed centrally to<br>> > improve services, reduce overhead costs and duplications as well as for<br>> > optimal utilization of the ICT human capital.<br>> > 2. Laid fiber optic cable through the nation but they have not yet<br>> > provided last mile connectivity to government offices or other users.<br>> > 3. Released Open Government Data through opendata datasets concept. The<br>> > data includes: various dimensions of population data; local and national<br>> > government authority expenditure; public health indicator data and<br>> > statistics including hospital locations; education data such as enrollment<br>> > rates and school locations; parliamentary proceedings (digital Hansard);<br>> > weather information and detailed census statistics on topics such <br>> > as access<br>> > to electricity, water and sanitation. https://www.opendata.go.ke/<br>> > 4. The government each years offers Local content grants to about 20<br>> > developers and artists of up-to $50,000 per project through a competitive<br>> > process.<br>> > <br>> > http://www.ict.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=356&Itemid=301<br>> > 5. Promoting BPO/ITES activities in the country. The Hallmark is the<br>> > establishment of the grand Konza Technology Park which is billed as the<br>> > next African Silicon Savannah. http://www.konzacity.co.ke/<br>> > 6. And finally, entrepreneurs are given loans to start Digital villages<br>> > code named Pasha (meaning disseminate). This initiative aims at<br>> > establishing Cyber Cafes that providing internet access and various online<br>> > services at the grassroots. http://pasha.co.ke/<br>> ><br>> > The initiatives are more that what I've outlines, and can be a good basis<br>> > for a Masters or PhD dissertation. I did a slideshare presentation a years<br>> > back with the same theme, but different components. You can access the link<br>> > herehttp://www.slideshare.net/lordmwesh/e-government-7203413<br>> ><br>> > Is our e-government strategy working? Are we "more talk and no walk"? What<br>> > can be done to push the stalled projects forward?<br>> ><br>> > Regards<br>> > 10rdmwesh<br>> ><br>> > --<br>> > ______________________<br>> > Mwendwa Kivuva<br>> > For<br>> > Business Development<br>> > Transworld Computer Channels<br>> > Cel: 0722402248<br>> > twitter.com/lordmwesh<br>> > www.transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing<br>> > kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know<br>> ><br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> kictanet mailing list<br>> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<br>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet<br>> <br>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ggithaiga%40hotmail.com<br>> <br>> 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.<br>> <br>> 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.<br></div></div> </div></body>
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