<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Liz</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately I think that notion is too simplistic. Net Neutrality is not only a first world problem. And comparing it with bread and other foods is basically missing the point.</div><div><br></div><div>Let's address it from an infrastructure point of view. Firstly the Internet is now so critical that this Balkanization that is happening is discriminatory. The likes of the Internet Giants who dole out a walled garden form of Internet access have zero motive for the good of the African people - they are after eyeballs. Plain and simple. Eyeballs mean money. </div><div><br></div><div>Secondly, the government has a responsibility to make the Internet affordable, and to make access free in marginalized areas and communities. That's why we have the Universal Access Fund. </div><div><br></div><div>Thirdly, to say that Net Neutrality is a first world problem is to rubbish all the startups that are struggling to build content in Africa. They surely don't have the muscle of Google or Facebook to dole out 'Free Access'. And if we allow this to happen they will have a snowball in hell getting their content read.</div><div><br></div><div>Our CS is quoted as saying:-</div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It’s like saying someone has no food, but if someone brings them bread we are not going to allow them to have the bread because they must have a balanced diet,” he said. “I don’t think that works for me.”</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'll compare this statement with access to roads. So if we don't have access to roads we should accept potholed ones? Granted we may not have a choice but to use the potholed ones (as is the case). However it sure doesn't make it right! Someone is dropping the ball and they must be made accountable.</span></div><div><br></div><div>One thing I'll concede is that Net Neutrality as defined by the first world is just not workable here. That's why we must define Net Neutrality from an African perspective.</div><div><br></div><div>A National Forum is long overdue.</div><div><br><div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><b>Ali Hussein</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><b>Principal</b></span></div><div><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hussein & Associates</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">+254 0713 601113 / 0770906375</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Twitter: @AliHKassim</span></p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font></font></span><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Skype: abu-jomo</span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LinkedIn: <a href="http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim" target="_blank">http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim</a></span></p><font><br></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div>"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);"><br></span></div>Sent from my iPad</div></div><div><br>On 26 Feb 2016, at 9:43 PM, Liz Orembo via kictanet <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><br>Interesting read.<br><br><a href="http://mgafrica.com/article/2016-02-24-africa-internet-access-more-important-for-africa-than-net-neutrality-which-is-a-first-world-problem/">http://mgafrica.com/article/2016-02-24-africa-internet-access-more-important-for-africa-than-net-neutrality-which-is-a-first-world-problem/</a><br clear="all"><div><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><br><div><font style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Best regards.<br>
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<div><font style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Liz.</font><br>
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P<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">GP ID: </font>0x1F3488BF</font></font></div></div></div>
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