September 2007 - KICTANet

Re: [kictanet] Media Bill 2007.
by ibrahim yussuf 26 Nov '07

26 Nov '07

Dear All I can't say that i have read the media bill,but the little that i have read in the media is lopsided and based on their side of the story.The only complains that i keep on hearing in the numerous talkshows that are aired on the TV only highlights the point that the coposition of the media council is not good or is made up of people who are not of that proffession.They dont come up to say anything else about the various clauses which will hinder their progress or how the government is trying to oppress them,am not trying to say that its not there but those are the things which should be highlighted for us to be able to support their arguments well.One funny thing that came out in one of those talkshows is that the KUJ was not with the media owners and that the bill would be very good for the them(KUJ).i believe that the bringing in of models and comedians as journalist has set the precedence for the government to bring in non-media guys to regulate the media,we should not kill this bill just because the owners of the media are not happy,their first obligation is to their shareholders and not to the general public. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > To: yussuf(a)lawyer.com > Subject: [kictanet] Media Bill 2007. > Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 15:03:12 +0300 (EAT) > > > Dear All, > If you read today's papers, you have everything to worry. It is being > alledged that the ICT Bill is worse than the Media Bill and That > Government did not consult. I know you all participated in many ICT fora > discussing just what is being criticised. After the first reading we have > another go at it but not to kill it at inception. > > I need not tell anyone that this Bill will unlock the ICT potential in > this country. Where were these people when you sacrificed your time to > have a just legislation in place? > > On Broadcasting, Kenya has one of the most liberal laws in place. We have > tried to have a frequency in Britain, China, the USA on reciprical > relations in vain. We toned down stakeholder's requirement on restrictive > cross media ownership by adopting South Africa Model but these people want > nothing but jungle laws in a democratic country. > > Since you access internet, please check, there is no country in the world > that does not have some sort of media regulation. In fact opponents of > these Bills should be asked to name at least one country that has no > regulation in media. > > Regards > > > Ndemo. > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/yussuf%40lawyer.com > = Skillsoft e business Visit SkillSoft.com now and find corporate e-learning solutions. http://a8-asy.a8ww.net/a8-ads/adftrclick?redirectid=7dfd8a4e1be2404287414c5…

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AFNOG 2008 ANNOUNCEMENT & WORKSHOP APPLICATION
by Dorcas Muthoni 08 Oct '07

08 Oct '07

AFNOG & AFRINIC JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT, MAY/JUNE 2008 9th AfNOG MEETING AfriNIC-8 MEETING The African Network Operators' Group (AfNOG) and the African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC) are pleased to announce that the 9th AfNOG Meeting and the AfriNIC-8 Meeting will be held Rabat, Morocco, in May /June 2008. ABOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT AfNOG and AfriNIC are jointly organising a two-week event that includes the AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology (offering advanced training in a week-long hands-on workshop), several full-day Advanced Tutorials, a one-day AfNOG Meeting, and a two-day AfriNIC Public Policy Meeting and Annual General Meeting. In addition, several side meetings and workshops will be hosted in collaboration with other organizations such as the AAU and ISOC. Further information about the event may be found at < http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/> and <http://www.afrinic.net/meeting/>. TIMETABLE Unix Boot Camp 24 - 25 May 2008 (Saturday - Sunday) AfNOG Workshop 26 - 30 May 2008 (Monday - Friday) AfriNIC IPV6 W/shop 31 May - 1 June 2008 (Saturday - Sunday) AfREN Meeting 31 May - 1 June 2008 (Saturday - Sunday) AfNOG Tutorials 1 - 2 June 2008 (Sunday - Monday) AfriNIC LIR W/shop 2 June 2008 (Monday) AfNOG Meeting 3 June 2008 (Tuesday) AfriNIC-8 Meeting 4 - 5 June 2008 (Wednesday - Thursday) Africa INET Day 6 June 2008 (Friday) VENUE The Workshop, Tutorials, AfREN Forum, IPv6, LIR (24 May - 2nd June 2008) will be held at Mohammadia Engineering Institute, Rabat. All Conferences (3 - 6 June 2008) will be held at the Golden Tulip Farah, Rabat, Morocco. ABOUT AfNOG AfNOG (see <http://www.afnog.org/>) is a forum for cooperation and the exchange of technical information between operators of Internet-connected networks in Africa. AfNOG has organised an event like this one every year since 2000. ABOUT AFRINIC AfriNIC (see < http://www.afrinic.net/>) is a Regional Internet Registry (RIR), responsible for Internet resources Mangement in Africa region. AfriNIc organises two Public Policy meetings every year (see <http://www.afrinic.net/meeting/>). AfNOG WORKSHOP ON NETWORK TECHNOLOGY The AfNOG Workshop on Network Technology aims to offer advanced training to people who are in the process of developing and enhancing an Internet-connected network with regional and international connectivity. The target audience includes senior and mid-level technical staff of commercial Internet service providers (ISPs), academic networks, government networks, or NGO networks. This workshop builds on the experience of previous AfNOG workshops held annually from 2000 to 2007 in eight different African countries, and also the Internet Society's INET workshops, held annually from 1993 to 2000 at eight locations around the world. The workshop's instructors are an international team with many years of experience operating large networks and teaching about network operations. The workshop is divided into four parallel tracks: SA-E - Unix System Administration (in English), focused on using a Unix-like operating system as a platform for delivery of Internet services. SS-E - Scalable Internet Services (in English), focused on the design and operation of email, web, and other Internet services, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of end users. SI-E - Scalable Network Infrastructure (in English), focused on the design and operation of networks using routers and switches, in ways that can scale to handle large numbers of interconnected sites. SI-F - Infrastructure Reseaux IP (en francais), similar to SI-E, but given in French. Further information and online application form for the workshop can be found at <http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/workshop/online_application.html> AfREN MEETING The Africa Research and Education Networking community will be holding a two-day meeting on 31 May and 1 June 2008. The meeting will discuss issues of interest to the NREN community such as coordination on activites in the region, advocacy, bandwidth consortia, regional RENs etc AfNOG TUTORIALS AfNOG will offer 1 to 2 full-day(s) tutorials on advanced topics. Tutorials take place in a classroom-style environment, and may include a hands-on practical component. Tutorials are non-commercial in nature, and most are technically oriented. They are intended to offer advanced training on technology already deployed or soon to be deployed on networking and related services provisioning for ISP operations. 9th AfNOG MEETING The 9th AfNOG meeting will be held in Rabat, Morocco, on 3 June 2008. AfNOG conferences provide a forum for the coordination and dissemination of technical information related to backbone/enterprise networking technologies and operational practices. The meetings are informal, with an emphasis on relevance to current and future African backbone engineering practices. The AfNOG 2007 conference in Abuja, Nigeria, drew over 165 participants, mainly consisting of network engineering staff from national service providers, and members of the research and education community. People interested in making a presentation or chairing a panel discussion at the AfNOG meeting are invited to to submit a proposal, following the instructions at <http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/conference/ > AfRINIC-8 MEETING The AfriNIC-8 meeting will be held in Rabat, Morocco, on 4 and 5 June 2008. AfriNIC Meetings are open to everyone and provide an excellent opportunity to take part in Internet policy discussions. These policies, which describe how Internet Number Resources should be managed and distributed, are developed by the community. The meeting will include tutorials, presentations, update on the various working groups and the AfriNIC Public Policy Meeting. The two day meeting will be preceeded by a two-day IPv6 training. The meeting will focus on the IPv6 protocol and its deployment, especially in Africa and the issue of the exhaustion of the IPv4 pool of address space. There will be an opportunity to discuss the challenges which our region will be facing with the exhaustion. Further information is available at < http://www.afrinic.net/meeting/>. ISOC - INET AfRICA MEETING The Internet Society will be organizing an INET Africa Conference on 6 June 2008 in conjunction with the AfriNIC 8 and AfNOG 9 meetings in Rabat, Morocco. This meeting will focus on technical as well as policy aspects surrounding Internet standards development and applications, with special attention on localisation and education initiatives, and efforts to further internationalise the Internet. The meeting is also expected to open discussion on Internet governance issues of importance to the continent. Issued jointly by AfNOG and AfriNIC ------ AfNOG 2008 WORKSHOP ON NETWORK TECHNOLOGY - APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION Please see < http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/workshop/> for information about the AfNOG 2008 Workshop on Network Technology. If you have questions regarding this announcement and application, they may be addressed to: < workshopinfo08(a)afnog.org <http://mail.openworld.co.ke/src/compose.php?send_to=workshopinfo08%40afnog.…>> WHERE TO APPLY - You can fill in an application on line, at < http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/workshop/online_application.html> - You can download a copy of the application form from < http://www.afnog.org/afnog2008/workshop/application-form.txt>, or request a copy via email to <applications08(a)afnog.org <http://mail.openworld.co.ke/src/compose.php?send_to=applications08%40afnog.…>>. Then fill it in off-line, and email it to <workshop-apply08(a)afnog.org <http://mail.openworld.co.ke/src/compose.php?send_to=workshop-apply08%40afno…>>. The "Subject" line of the message should contain your surname or family name in the following format: Subject: AfNOG Workshop Application: <your-family-name> WHEN TO APPLY Application forms must be submitted no later than 7 December 2007. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the program and the amount of financial aid available (if any) on or about 31st January 2008. INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED ON YOUR APPLICATION Please ensure that all of the contact information you submit is and accurate, or we will not be able to contact you. Please give detailed answers to the questions about your work and your experience. If your are applying for financial assistance from AfNOG, please do not forget to answer the questions about other funding sources available to you. A. PERSONAL DATA FAMILY NAME (LAST NAME, SURNAME) ONLY: Full Name: Employer/Organization Position/Title: Business Address: Business Telephone: Alternate Telephone: E-mail address: Fax: Date of birth: Nationality: Name as it appears on passport or other travel document: Passport number: Country issuing passport: Date passport was issued: Date of passport expiration: Knowledge of English /French: Please rate your knowledge in these categories: Listening/comprehension: minimal / fair / good / excellent Reading: minimal / fair / good / excellent Speaking: minimal / fair / good / excellent Writing: minimal / fair / good / excellent Please indicate with an asterisk (*) the most reliable addresses and telephone/fax numbers above which can be used to reach you. B. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION Instructional track applied for (Please select only one track; the tracks will run concurrently): [ ] SA-E - UNIX SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION [ ] SS-E- SCALABLE INTERNET SERVICES [ ] SI-E - SCALABLE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE [ ] SI-F - INFRASTRUCTURE RESEAUX (French Track - equivanent to SI-E) Please indicate your specific interests within the area you have chosen: C. TECHNICAL SKILLS 1. Are you a UNIX user? How much have you used it? 2. Have you been a UNIX system administrator? Describe your experience (length of time, versions, etc.). 3 Have you used/administered TCP/IP networks? Describe. 4. Have you set up and/or administered any of the following? Please give details. - bind or any other nameservers - sendmail/smail/exim/postfix - majordomo/mailman or other list manager - apache/IIS web systems 5. Have you configured or otherwise managed any of the following? Details, please. - routers - switches - network monitoring - noc D. DESCRIPTION OF ROLE IN NATIONAL NETWORKING ACTIVITIES Bearing in mind that this information will be used to determine whether to admit you to the workshop, please provide in the format of your choice the following information about yourself. Please be sure that it is sufficiently clear, well organized and adequate for this purpose. 1. A description of your current employer, your position, your duties and responsibilities, and how they relate to current and future data networking activities in your country. 2. A brief description of your computing and networking environment (operating systems, networking software, modems, etc.), including the connectivity of your organization to the Internet and your country's connectivity to the international Internet. 3a. Scope of your institution (check all categories that apply): [ ] Commercial Network Provider [ ] Academic Network Provider [ ] NGO Network Provider [ ] Other (Specify)______________ 3b. Approximate number of full time staff at your institution:________ 4. How your training and current work prepare and qualify you for the track you wish to attend. 5. How you expect to use the knowledge you gain at the workshop after you return to your country. 6. If you have previously attended AfNOG/INET Workshops for Developing Countries, a. Year and track you attended: b. A precise description of how you have used the training you have received in the past: c. The significant advances in networking which have occurred in your country specifically because of your knowledge and effort: E. FINANCIAL INFORMATION Your application must contain the following complete information if you wish to be considered for financial support to attend the workshop. The Workshop fee is US$1,600. This includes accommodation and meals. Applicants are usually expected to provide their own funding (from whatever sources). However AfNOG or its sponsors may make a limited financial assistance available to deserving candidates. Even if you request financial assistance you might not receive any, and your acceptance into the Workshop will be conditional on your ability to provide all or most of the funding yourself. Although you may be well qualified and in great need of financial assistance, the maximum funds AfNOG or its sponsors may provide is US$1,000 in financial assistance for BOTH WORKSHOP FEES AND AIRFARE. Payment for the workshop may be made by funds transfer, bank / certified cheque or in cash. Further details will be provided in the admission letter to successful candidates. NOTE : YOUR ACCEPTANCE INTO THE WORKSHOP MAY BEPEND ON YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE SOME OR ALL THE WORKSHOP FEES. 1. Are you are requesting financial aid from the AfNOG Workshop for attending the workshop and meetings? [ ] Yes [ ] No 2. If you are requesting financial aid to cover the workshop fee, please provide a complete list of funding sources in the following form. The list should contain all sources of funds that are available to you for payment of the workshop fee. The amounts should total U.S.$1,600. 1. Your Institution -- U.S.$ __________ 2. Your Government -- U.S.$ __________ 3. From international organizations -- U.S.$ __________ 4. Your personal contribution -- U.S.$ __________ 5. Amount you ask from AfNOG -- U.S.$ __________ (less than $1,000) _________________________________ TOTAL Income = U.S.$1,600.00 (PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE - WORKSHOP FEES OR AIRFARE) 3. Will you need financial assistance for airfare? If so, how much will you or your institution be contributing? [ ] No, assistance for airfare not needed. [ ] Yes, assistance needed. (less than $1,000) Amount of your contribution: U.S.$_________ 4. If you are requesting financial support for airfare, please provide a good estimate of round trip, lowest economy excursion airfare between your place of residence and Cassablanca, Morocco, in May 2008. (Flights from Africa terminate at Cassablanca, connection to Rabat can be made by bus or train). 1. Airfare: 2. Airline: 3. Type of fare: 4. City of departure: 5. Source of your estimate: Signature (your name as you would sign it): __________________________ Date:___________________ _______________________________________________ afnog mailing list http://afnog.org/mailman/listinfo/afnog

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[Fwd: [AfriNIC-rpd] Fw: Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space]
by alice 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

Egypt has submitted this proposal for allocation for remaining IPv4 addresses space... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name: Hytham Zakaria EL Nakhal Organisation: National Telecom Regulatory Authority, Egypt Version: Draft Date: 07 July 2007 Status: Open for discussion Authors: Roque Gagliano (ANTEL), Francisco Obispo (CENIT), Hytham EL Nakhal (MCIT), Didier Allain Kla (ISOC Cote d'Ivoire) Policy Affected: The current on-demand global policy for the distribution of IPv4 address space to the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) system. Incentive: In order to assure the equal distribution of the IPv4 address space across RIR regions, this policy proposal describes a process for the allocation of the remaining IPv4 space from IANA to the existing RIRs Policy Proposal Name: Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space. Proposal: -------------- Policy Statement: This policy describes the process for the allocation of the remaining IPv4 space from IANA to RIRs. When a minimum amount of available space is reached, an identical number of IPv4 allocation units (/8s) will be allocated from IANA to each RIR, replacing the current IPv4 allocation policy. In order to fulfill the requirements of this policy, at the time of its adoption, an identical number of IPv4 allocation units (N) will be reserved by IANA for each RIR. The number N is defined as 5. The reserved units will no longer be part of the available space at IANA pool. The process for the allocation of the remaining IPv4 space is divided in two consecutives phases: 1. Existing Policy Phase: During this phase IANA will continue allocating IPv4 addresses to the RIRs using the existing allocation policy. This phase will continue until a request for IPv4 address space from any RIR to IANA can not be fulfilled with the remaining IPv4 space available in the IANA pool. This will be the last IPv4 address space request that IANA will accept from any RIR. At this point the next phase of the process will be initiated. 2. Exhaustion Phase: IANA will automatically allocate the reserved IPv4 allocation units to each RIR (N units to each one) and respond to the last request with the remaining available allocation units in IANA pool (M units). 2.1. Size of the final IPv4 allocations: During this phase IANA will automatically allocate N allocation units to each RIR from the reserved space defined in this policy. IANA will also allocate M allocation units to the RIR that submitted the last request for IPv4 addresses. 2.2. Allocation of the remaining IPv4 Address space: After the completion of the evaluation of the final request for IPv4 addresses, IANA must: A) Immediately notify the NRO about the activation of the second phase of this policy. B) Proceed to allocate M allocation units to the RIR that submitted the last request for IPv4 address space. C) Proceed to allocate N allocation units to each RIR from the reserved space. Rational: --------------- The IANA pool of allocation units of IPv4 addresses (/8s) is decreasing rapidly. A new policy is proposed to replace the current "on demand" policy in order to bring certainty on how the remaining space will be allocated. This policy eliminates the pressure on the remaining central pool of addresses by allocating equal amount of allocation units (N) to each RIR. RIR may be studying slow-landing policies or the possibility to reserve specific address spaces for "critical infrastructure" or new companies in order to comply with anti-trust regulations in its region. This policy allows each RIR to adopt those policies through its PDP, which is simpler than a global policy discussion process. Each RIR will have the exact information on the amount of address spaces that they will be receiving as a last allocation from the IANA. The policy is written in such a way that the discussion could be split in two sections: first do we agree on the concept of the policy and second what is the appropriate value for the last allocation units N. Thanks & Best Regards Mostafa Ali NOL , Cairo Office Senior P&D Engineer Tel. : +202 760 6677 ext. 560 Mobile: +20 10 5151 189 Fax. : +202 760 7656 E-mail - mmostafa(a)nile-online.net _______________________________________________ rpd mailing list rpd(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/rpd

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Ubuntu Platform Training
by Alex Gakuru 29 Sep '07

29 Sep '07

sent on 29 Sept 2007 2:10 pm Hi all, I am pleased to update you on our earlier announced Ubuntu platform training program. We have received a lot of diverse and encouraging interest on this introductory course. (Also pleased to have reclaimed some earlier users:) We have decided to start off with Saturdays 9:00 am - 12:00 noon for lecture-type classes with students undertaking 2-hours practical work thereafter every class. Sorry *nix* gurus:) our angle is NOT kernel-dev or terminal oriented,rather a gentle Open users introduction easy Ubuntu desktop. ( can't wait for GNONE 2.20 in "Gutsy Gibbon". Obviously spicy IBM's Lotus Symphony will be our Open Office package (http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/09/gnome-update-po.html and http://www.howtoforge.com/ibm_lotus_symphony_ubuntu_7.04 resp) The venue remains our near Nairobi Club, along 4th Ngong Avenue offices, opposite George Williamson House (off Ngong Road) Nairobi. Unfortunately this course is not free because we are not funded by anybody. Full Cost is Kshs 10,000 and YES! One can pay in two installments @ Kshs 5,000/=. will update you in due course on other scheduled discussions on Open Source Training if something concrete is agreed upon. Finally, thanks all for your interest and Josiah Mugambi for Lotus download pointer and YOU for forwarding our training course to your various mailing lists. Remember we are always "send button" away - feel free to ask me anything related through gakuru(a)gmail.com. Thanks Alex "The Future is Open" ____________________________________________________________________________________ Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC

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Cell operators key for African Internet penetration
by alice 27 Sep '07

27 Sep '07

Cell operators key for African Internet penetration Tuesday, 25 September 2007, 11:49 In a continent where restrictive regulations, high operating costs and widespread poverty makes Internet services unaffordable, low literacy among its population limits demand, and poor telecoms infrastructure hinders penetration, Africa's cellular operators have a key role to play in boosting Internet usage. Frost & Sullivan research analyst, Spiwe Chireka, says that while Africa is experiencing double-digit growth of Internet usage, ISPs can significantly enhance this by aligning themselves with cellular operators. "Moving forward, ISPs will need to consolidate their efforts and create strategic relationships with cellular operators," says Chireka. "The further development and increasing penetration of cellular networks would allow ISPs to offer mobile internet access and boost penetration of their services, thus reducing the high initial investment costs involved." At the same time, mobile handset operators need to partner with ISPs to provide affordable tools for mobile internet access. To develop a sound market share in the limited market base characteristic of Africa, there is a need for product differentiation to increase consumer's switching costs. "In addition, ISPs need to target markets outside the major urban areas, since these areas are currently saturated in terms of operators," says Chireka. "Accordingly, partnerships with cellular operators would go a long way to address this challenge. Besides, low cost and high speed access will also be crucial to ensuring market growth." Chireka says that the current double-digit growth is predicted on a narrow base, with the overall number of Internet users remaining limited. In some cases, ISPs, with the help of governments, are gradually designing coping strategies around restrictive licensing regimes, poor telecoms infrastructure and low affordability of services. Promisingly, both governments and private telecoms operators are making significant investments in infrastructure. Such initiatives are setting the stage to leverage the exciting growth potential of the African Internet market. "Most governments have embarked on ICT-led development strategies, aimed at developing e-governance and subsequently internet penetration," Chireka says. Markets such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Angola and Mozambique are set to enjoy high growth levels, given their technology neutral licensing regimes, independent regulators, high levels of FDI and highly liberalised markets. Ghana and Nigeria have high growth potential, but this is hindered by poor economic performance and poor licensing regimes, which have limited foreign investment into these markets. By partnering with highly successful cellular operators in regions such as these, ISPs could quickly negate some of these barriers. OEM Division - Novell Garry Hodgson (IP:62.200.56.xxx) 2007-09-25 05:32:38 __._,_.___

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FW: 12th International Business Forum & Global E-discussion
by Harry Hare 26 Sep '07

26 Sep '07

Some of you might find this interesting. Harry -----Original Message----- From: csrwbi(a)worldbank.org [mailto:csrwbi@worldbank.org] Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 11:18 PM Subject: 12th International Business Forum & Global E-discussion The World Bank Institute, in cooperation with InWEnt Capacity Building International, is pleased to invite you to the 12th International Business Forum -- Business Engagement for Governance: Business and the Rules of the Game October 9-10, 2007 World Bank Headquarters, Washington D.C. More information and registration at: http://www.businessandmdgs.net/ Operating in today's globalized economy is risky business. The private sector has identified a need to take the initiative in addressing global challenges that impact their business as much as the societies in which they operate. Often they are doing so in the absence of clear legislation or clear and functioning global frameworks. This conference will pinpoint the role private business can and should play in shaping tomorrow's global governance structures, and suggest corresponding adjustments required by the public sector. Forum topics include: Business Action on Climate Change: The Impact on Corporate Strategy Private Sector Roles in Combating Corruption: Setting One's Own Standards Business Contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals As a lead up to the Forum, a Global E-discussion for young leaders will take place from September 24 to October 5, 2007. Register NOW at: http://info.worldbank.org/etools/BusinessMDGs/eDiscussion.htm The e-discussion will bring together young leaders from around the world to discuss youth opinions on the role business should play in dealing with two of today's global challenges: Climate Change and Good Governance. The recommendations from the e-discussion will be presented to senior business and development leaders at the 12th International Business Forum on October 9-10, 2007. For more information about the e-discussion and to register, please see the attached flyer and visit the e-discussion webpage: http://info.worldbank.org/etools/BusinessMDGs/eDiscussion.htm. We look forward to your participation in both events. Djordjija Petkoski Head of Business, Competitiveness and Development Team World Bank Institute (See attached file: World Bank Announcement.pdf)(See attached file: World Bank Announcement.pdf) *Register Now for the Global E-discussion: Free registration at http://info.worldbank.org/etools/BusinessMDGs/eDiscussion.htm or visit www.businessandmdgs.net and go to the Youth Consultations page.*

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Papers Due: ICT Africa 2008 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb 13-15)
by Janet Feldman 26 Sep '07

26 Sep '07

http://ictafrica.nepadcouncil.org Last call for papers: Submission of papers for ICT Africa will now close on September 30. If you are still yet to submit your paper, please do so on or before September 30, at midnight US Eastern time (GMT/UTC-4). With two highly regarded conferences, ICT Africa and NOVATECH, being hosted at the same location - you are guaranteed one of the largest ICT events in Africa. Manuscript due date: September 30, 2007 Acceptance date: November 16, 2007 Camera ready manuscript due date December 15, 2007 ICT Africa 2008 conference and tutorial program will bring together engineers, scientists, developers, government leaders, corporate managers, educators, financiers and project representatives from all over Africa and abroad. Suggested topics include: Paper and tutorial titles will include, but not limited to: Track 1 Networks There have been concerted efforts to develop ICT infrastructure in Africa including submarine fibre links, terrestrial long haul fibre and microwave links, metropolitan and access networks including wireless mesh networks, Wi-Max, ADSL, 3G wireless, broadband over power line and fiber to the premises (deployed in Kigali, Rwanda for example). This track will address technologies appropriate for these developments will include but not limited to: Fiber optic networks Submarine cable systems Digital subscriber line (ADSL) Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Wireless broadband access: including WI-MAX Wireless LANS: including Wi-Fi Broadband over power line Satellite Broadband Fiber to the premises Internet exchange points Track 2 Data Management Issues in Internet-Based Applications: The availability of high-speed networks and high-performance microprocessors is making networks of computers an appealing vehicle for cost-effective internet and business computing. Clusters of computers built using commodity hardware and software are playing a major role in web server design with several applications in E- Commerce, E-learning, E-government, etc. Although applications are flourishing, some challenges remains in the Peer-to-Peer and Internet- based applications. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) refers to a network of equals (peers), where by design two or more peers are able to collaborate spontaneously or share resources without the need for central coordination. We invite contributions from a broad spectrum of disciplines including economics, information systems, information management, and computer sciences. We would also like to involve practitioners whose experiences applications of P2P could certainly enrich the discussions. The track focuses on but is not limited to: Information storage, retrieval and update in a distributed system High performance and reliable mass storage Intrusion prevention, detection and tolerance Formation of supply chains, coalitions, and virtual enterprises Agent technology Public records archives (electronic documents accessibility, authenticity) Trust and privacy e-Voting systems solutions Mobile applications e-government solutions e-learning solutions e-commerce solutions e-health solutions e-labs and distance learning Tutorial Titles Fiber optics Next generation broadband networks VoIP Instructions: PAPERS: Technical papers describing original, previously unpublished research, not currently under review by another conference or journal, are solicited. The conference is interested in contributions addressing all the areas associated with the title above. All paper submissions will be handled electronically at http://www.nepadcouncil.org/ocs . Authors should prepare the full paper following the IEEE paper format. Papers including text, figures and references must not exceed 10 pages. The abstracts should be submitted with the following information: Author's name Co-author(s) Address Company/organization Telephone number email address Title of the paper or presentation Relevant topic (from the areas listed above) One or Two keywords (relating to the subject of the abstract) TUTORIALS: Proposals submission should be in plain text or PDF format and should include a cover sheet and an extended abstract. The cover sheet should specify: The title of the tutorial The length : a half day (3 hours plus breaks) or full day (6 hours plus breaks) The intended audience (introductory, intermediate, advanced) The complete contact information for the contact person and other presenters A brief biography (max. 2 paragraphs) for each presenter The audio/visual equipment needed for the presentation. The extended abstract should be 4 to 6 pages, and should include an outline of the tutorial, along with descriptions of the course objectives and course materials. Paper submission site: http://www.nepadcouncil.org/ocs/ Conference site: http://ictafrica.nepadcouncil.org Contacts Clarissa Dhliwayo cdhliwayo(a)nepadcouncil.org Pamela Odero podero(a)nepadcouncil.org submitted by Janet Feldman (kaippg(a)earthlink.net)

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MPs move to court to block Safaricom IPO, while in Rwanda MTN needs competitor that matches their profile
by alice 25 Sep '07

25 Sep '07

Kenya MPs move to court to block Safaricom IPO Published on September 25, 2007, 12:00 am By Evelyn Kwamboka The battle to stop the sale of shares in Safaricom Limited to the public has moved to court. Three members of Parliament filed a notice at the High Court in Nairobi saying they want to stop a planned initial public offer until the Privatisation Act 2005 comes into force. Their move will also block other planned privatisations as well as secondary offers of partially privatised firms. The IPO, expected before Christmas, will see the sale of a 25 per cent stake held by the Government through the Nairobi Stock Exchange. President Kibaki has already assented to the Act, but its coming into force was on hold until recently when Parliament forced the Finance minister, Mr Amos Kimunya, to move on it. The MPs — Prof Peter Anyang' Nyong'o (Kisumu Rural), Mr Omingo Magara (South Mugirango) and Mr Mwandawiro Mghanga (Wundanyi) — claim the intended sale is illegal and undermines Parliament. They want the court to direct Kimunya to set a date when the Act will come into force. They also want an order barring the Government from any further sale of public corporations and State-held shares until when the Act comes into force. In the papers filed in court through Katwa and Kemboy Advocates, Nyong'o says Kimunya has no legal power to sell the 25 per cent stake in Safaricom or any shares in the company. "It also raises suspicion on the real motive and overall objective of the hurried privatisation exercise done within a legal vacuum, particularly when the overall effect appears likely to be detrimental to the common good against the greater national interest," he says. Another ground the MPs are relying on is that the minister has no authority to form a Privatisation Steering Committee to implement and co-ordinate the process or ignore the collective will of Parliament as expressed in the Privatisation Act 2005. "The decision of the minister is in breach of the order given by the Speaker of the National Assembly on August 23 to the minister to operationalise the Act within seven days from the said date," adds Nyong'o. Kimunya is alleged to have refused to appoint a date on which the said Act will come into force. The Act provides for the formation of a specialised privatisation commission to manage and implement the privatisation programme. Nyong'o says the Act regulates and limits the powers of the Government as well as the minister with respect to the privatisation process. The MP avers that records concerning Safaricom and Vodafone Kenya Ltd have been missing from the Registrar of Companies and Parliament cannot access them. As a result of the shares owned by the Government in Safaricom, the MP says the public has a right to know whom the company does business with. He claims that given the number of Safaricom subscribers and profit the company makes, the proposed privatisation is critical. The company this year announced a pre-tax profit of Sh17.2 billion off a turnover of Sh47 billion. It has close to seven million subscribers. Its actual shareholding structure has previously been cause for controversy. Source: http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143975045 <http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143975045> ************ ************* Uganda Celtel parent firm rebrands Monday, 24th September, 2007 E-mail article Print article By Vision Reporter MTC Group, the parent company of Celtel International, has re-branded to Zain which becomes the group's corporate master brand immediately. In Africa, the Zain Group will continue to trade under the Celtel brand. "Zain will bring together all our operations under a single, strong and unique identity. We believe it is the optimal platform upon which we can build a global brand with the ultimate goal of better serving our customers," Saad Al Barrak Zain Group's chief executive said. "It will propel the group towards becoming one of the top 10 global mobile telecommunications companies in the next four years." The Zain brand's theme is: "A Wonderful World." Brand architect Tito Alai, the group's chief commercial officer who also developed the Zain Group's successful Celtel brand in Africa, said: "The name Zain was selected from a list of over 400 after extensive research across many countries and cultures validated its broad global appeal." http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/588294 <http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/588294> ******************** Rwanda Tuesday, 25th September 2007 MTN needs competitor that matches their profile BY DAVID KEZIO MUSOKE SEVENTY per cent of Rwandatel shares are up for grabs. By the end of October, Rwanda's telecom market could be having a new player. Is this good or bad news for MTN Rwanda? What about the subscribers, what are they going to expect? There are six bidders including two telecom giants: the Vodacom Group of South Africa and Celtel, Africa's third-largest cell phone firm. The others include V-Tel Holdings of Jordan, Bit Map Ltd of Singapore and two little known companies: LapGreen Network of Uganda and Rwanda's R-Com. Rwandatel and its branded products, including Terracom and recently introduced Karame, have always played the fiddle to the already existing and powerful brand of MTN Rwandcell. The edgy relationship between both premier telecommunication companies has not really played a pivotal role in the development of the market and its infrastructure since 1998. According to the International Development Research Center (IDRC), MTN Rwanda grew a subscriber base four times the number of subscribers of Rwandatel, and the rate for telephone calls from mobile to fixed lines grew prohibitive. This discouraged most of Rwanda's users from calling mobile to fixed telephones. IDRC says they estimate 90 per cent of interconnection calls are initiated from the Rwandatel network and terminate on the MTN Rwandacell network (fixed to mobile). This means Rwandatel has to pay a tremendous amount of money to MTN Rwandacell for termination charges to use the MTN Rwandacell network, a business venture found to be unfair. MTN has since then operated in a monopolistic manner, controlling a market share of 95 per cent to a population of over 8 million Rwandans. The company boasts over 500,000 subscribers. Looking at MTN Rwanda closely, it belongs to the MTN family that set fort in South Africa. From the global footprint, the MTN group operates in 21 countries, serving a combined population of over 500 million people worldwide. But the gold is not that glittering for MTN Rwanda. According to the MTN Group Limited Integrated business report for last year, MTN Rwanda contributed only 2 per cent of subscribers to the South and East Africa (SEA) region of the MTN Group. It also supplied just 1 per cent of the total revenue the MTN Group collects from SEA, a region that includes South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia, and Uganda. So what kind of competitor does MTN Rwanda need? What kind of market does Rwanda's population need? Skeptics say telecommunications is very crucial, if not one of the most important tools to eradicate the many socio-economic problems plaguing any third world country. The Rwandan government has made it very clear it is interested in a new owner of Rwandatel who will have to meet certain objectives underlined in the country's Vision 2020. The Grameen Foundation argues Rwanda has a relatively low rural tele- density (the number of telephone lines per 100 people) which is quoted at 5 per cent. Research done by the Research ICT Africa also shows Rwanda has the second highest mobile call tariffs in Africa, trailing Ethiopia. Rwanda has recently joined the East African Community (EAC). All the members states in this bloc (with the exception of Burund) have telecom markets which are quite superior to that of Rwanda. Safaricom of Kenya has a subscriber base of 7.6 million out of the estimated 10 million subscribers in the country. Tanzania boasts four GSM operators, while Uganda's subscribers with the recent registration of Warid and Hits telecommunications have an option of choosing between five operators by the end of this year. All three East African countries are connected to Celtel's `One Network coverage', a borderless network that allows subscribers to make calls at local rates and receive free incoming calls. This network is the first of its kind in the world and has won the company international recognition within the GSM association, a telecom club that harbors over 300 telecommunication companies worldwide. Rwanda would therefore need an alternative telecommunications company that can fully integrate subscribers into the EAC bloc – one which doesn't only concentrate on the transmission of voice, but also on transmission of data. One who will adopt third-generation (3G) mobile services in the country. In a recent statement, Rwandatel said: "We are looking for a strategic investor with capacity to develop the sector by improving the quality of services and meeting the ever increasing expectations of telecommunications market in Rwanda." Of all six bidders, there are only three which have profiles that match those of the telecoms mentioned above. The eventual winner of the bid would provide a highly competitive market for MTN Rwanda. V-Tel Holdings of Jordan and Bit Map Ltd of Singapore have hardly had any operations in Africa. Therefore, they have no experience working in an African setting and definitely don't know the market. Libya Africa Investments Portfolio for Africa (Lap Green) is a Libyan consortium reorganising the interests of investments owned by the Libyan government. The group, which has invested US$4 billion in cash and owns US$3 billion in assets, also owns Lap Green Networks Ltd who bought 69 per cent of shares in Uganda's national telecom operator, Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL). LapGreen Networks also owns Mali's Sahelcom and together with UTL's 700,000 subscribers, it would boast of about 900,000 fixed line and mobile subscribers in Africa. Vodacom and Celtel have both been identified as pan-African with regional interests in sub-Saharan Africa. Vodacom provides 3G GSM services to millions of customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Vodacom brand is also a 50 per cent joint venture investment with the United Kingdom's mobile firm, Vodafone Group Plc. The same telecommunication company has a 40 per cent stake in Safaricom of Kenya. Celtel which is owned by Kuwaiti-based Mobile Telecommunication Company (MTC), operates in 15 African nations. The company which recently announced a re-branding rollout from MTC Kuwait to Zain International has also established a strong hold across the West African region. Celtel's Fayaz King told telecom regulators by the end of 2007, all 15 countries would be part of its One Network plan recently, at the 1st Mobile Roaming Conference in West Africa. Sources within the telecom circles say MTN Rwanda is planning to forge a regional free-roaming zone with Safaricom. According to sources, MTN Rwanda's chief executive, Themba Khumalo and his Safaricom counterpart, Michael Joseph, met at the sidelines of the annual GSM Conference in Nairobi recently and discussed the prospects. The other advantage Celtel and Vodacom would have over all the other four bidders, is the fact that both companies are subscribers to a US$ 235m project to build a fiber-optic submarine cable. This project would fulfill what the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) calls the `missing link' to 21 eastern and southern African countries by 2009. The project is meant to reduce international connectivity costs by two-thirds. With `Connect Africa,' an ITU sponsored communications summit set to be held in Rwanda next month, the bidding process of the new player in Rwanda telecom market has to be done in line with the interests of ITU. At this summit, different heads of state will have to make key decisions in the regulatory environment in order to approach the market and attract the business leaders, some of which will include these bidders. Rwanda could use this summit to show case its ability to do away with unfair monopolies that might hinder growth in her telecommunications industry. dkmusoke(a)newtimes.co.rw <mailto:dkmusoke%40newtimes.co.rw> http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=1298&article=1147 <http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=1298&article=1147> ***********************

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Econet finally connected after paying $12m fee
by alice 25 Sep '07

25 Sep '07

Econet finally connected after paying $12m fee By A STAFF WRITER The EastAfrican South African-based mobile telephone operator Econet Wireless has finally found an entry into Kenya's highly lucrative market after it was allocated frequencies by the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK), ending a bruising three-year battle for a licence. Its local subsidiary, Econet Wireless Kenya Ltd, announced last week that it had received the frequencies after it paid the $12 million (Ksh840 million) balance of its licence fee earlier this month. The company said it was now preparing for rollout of it services, effectively becoming Kenya's third mobile telephone operator. The balance is part of the $27 million the company was required to pay before it could be licensed and allocated frequencies. But the company is entering a market dominated by Safaricom Ltd and Celtel International — more or less a duopoly where the two players dictate terms. In a David and Goliath situation — Safaricom Ltd is the most profitable company posting Ksh17 billion ($253.7 million) in profits while Celtel has established a name for itself — Econet can hope that the CCK finds favour with its appeal and enforces a provision in its licence that commits regulatory authorities compel its competitions to provide a level playing field. But this will only be feasible if the competition allows number portability and the sharing of basic physical infrastructure, including base stations. Number portability allows consumers to retain the same number regardless of the network they are on at any one particular moment, but there is no indication that the CCK will introduce and enforce the requirement and even less hope that the other better entrenched companies will be willing to give in. But Econet's ability to roll out its network almost immediately it receives its licence and frequencies as it had promised remains to be seen. Its entry comes in at a time when the sector is undergoing rapid growth. It has recently witnessed the introduction of CDMA technology by Telkom Kenya, Popote Wireless and Flashcom. Econet's hopes of making an impact and quick profits for its principal shareholders will depend heavily on CCK's ability to negotiate complex interconnect agreements between multiple players and set the price for shared infrastructure. The telecommunications sector is characterised by a large mobile- phone segment, that has experienced sustained growth, with the number of subscribers surging at a phenomenal rate. For the period 2000 to 2005, growth in this sector was a remarkable 105 per cent. It is estimated that total subscriber numbers hit a new peak of eight million in December 2006, implying a penetration rate of 23 per cent. The number of fixed lines remains comparatively low, falling from a peak of 320,000 in 2002 to 280,000 in 2006. With ongoing deregulation and a sustained commitment from the government to support the sector, the business environment is seen as being extremely robust http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News24090714.htm <http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News24090714.htm> __._, <http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/kenyainternational>

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ICANN, TWNIC Host "Toward the New Era of Internet"
by Alex Gakuru 25 Sep '07

25 Sep '07

http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-20sep07.htm ICANN, TWNIC Host Toward the New Era of Internet in Taipei Internationalized domain names, Internet security key topics at three-day meeting 20 September 2007 MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is joining forces with the Taiwan Network Information Centre (TWNIC) to host a special regional meeting Toward the New Era of Internet in Taipei 19-21 October 2007. ICANN, TWNIC, and the global Internet community are tackling some of the most important issues impacting the Internet since its creation, said Dr Paul Twomey, ICANNs President and CEO. This meeting is an opportunity for technical communities, Internet businesses, and policy makers from the Asia-Pacific to come together and share thoughts and ideas on how we can move forward together. Some of the meeting highlights include: * Internet security and the challenges it presents to governments, service providers, and end-users * The need for a migration to IPv6, with its 340 trillion trillion trillion Internet Protocol addresses, because of the depletion of the widely-used IPv4 space * One of the last official ICANN functions for Board Chair Vint Cerf, whose term ends at the Los Angeles International Public Meeting at the end of October. * ICANNs progress on implementing internationalized domain names (IDNs), which have the goal of adding to the 37 characters presently available for domain names to tens of thousands of characters from many of the languages of the world. IDNs are going to change the face of the Internet when they arrive it will give people the chance to register domain names with their names in their languages, Dr Twomey added. ICANN is about to launch a technical evaluation of the impact IDNs will have, and if all goes well internationalized domain names could be available sometime in 2008. Links to the agenda and registration for the Taipei meeting are online at: http://taipei2007.icann.org/. -- Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat - ICANN gnso.secretariat[at]gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase. http://farechase.yahoo.com/

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