November 2011 - KICTANet

PMG In waiting - Postal & mobile money
by robert yawe 07 Nov '11

07 Nov '11

I was in Nanyuki over the weekend as I passed the post office a pig red sign caught my attention which got me thinking about the mandate of the Postal Corporation of Kenya as to its services to the populace. In my opinion if PCK is to provide 3rd party money transfer services its has an obligation to offer at least the services of the top 3 and not to only benefit a single entity. The same obligation needs to be enforced in relation to all other government agencies otherwise we shall be disenfranchising the common mwanainchi. Last and not list it is a branding no no to place such a sign so prominently in the front of the post office, the sign is so loud that one would think that the location belonged to the mobile phone company. On appointment that will be one of the things I will rectify during my first, proverbial, 100 days. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya

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Internet Services more expensive in .KE than .TZ & .UG
by Walubengo J 07 Nov '11

07 Nov '11

Contrary to popular belief, ITU's recent statistics @ http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/idi/2011/Material/MIS2011-ExceSum… indicates that ICT services (internet, voice, video) are generally more expensive in Kenya than in our neighbourhood. Specifically, the cost of ICT services as compared to average national incomes is at 30% for .UG, 31% for .TZ and 33% for Kenya. In layman terms, Kenyans have to fork out 33% of their average monthly income if they want to enjoy decent access (e.g. 20hrs of internet) per month. So PS Dr. Ndemo, it looks like before you become President, what are you doing to make sure we catch up and bypass our neighbours as far as pricing of ICT services is concerned? walu. nb: incidentally, we are the ones supplying .UG the bandwidth - so how comes its cheaper in Kampala?

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From the Google Policy Blog: Advancing the free flow of information.
by alice＠apc.org 05 Nov '11

05 Nov '11

____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org To be removed from the list, visit: http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing For all other list information and functions, see: http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see: http://www.igcaucus.org/ Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t -----Original Message----- From: McTim <dogwallah(a)gmail.com> Sender: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2011 15:56:50 To: <governance(a)lists.cpsr.org> Reply-To: governance(a)lists.cpsr.org,McTim <dogwallah(a)gmail.com> Subject: [governance] From the Google Policy Blog Advancing the free flow of information<http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2011/11/advancing-free-flow-of-infor…> Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:28 PM ETPosted by Winter Casey, Senior Policy Analyst, Google The global economy relies on the free flow of information more than ever before. Companies large and small can use the Internet to reach new markets, which contributes to economic growth, job creation, and increased trade around the world. But as companies and individuals are transmitting more information online, some governments are seeking to impose limits on the free flow of information. More than 40 governments now block or restrict information and data available on the Internet. Last year, we released a white paper<http://www.google.com/googleblogs/pdfs/trade_free_flow_of_information.pdf> demonstrating that governments which block the free flow of information on the Internet are also blocking trade and economic growth. For example, when companies canâ€™t confidentially and confidently transmit the files and information that are necessary to keep their business running, their ability to export goods and services is hurt. The thesis is simple: when countries support the free flow of information, they will see more economic growth. Thatâ€™s why we joined companies like Citi, Microsoft, IBM, GE and others to endorse a new set of principles endorsing the free flow of information across borders. The principles<http://www.nftc.org/default/Innovation/PromotingCrossBorderDataFlowsNFTC.pdf>, written under the leadership of the National Foreign Trade Council, outline several priorities for the U.S. business community which will promote transparent, fair, and secure cross-border data flows. Individuals and businesses will benefit from a more consistent and transparent framework for the treatment of cross-border flows of goods, services and information. We look forward to continued work with governments and industry to advance the free flow of information online. ------------------ Principles are here: http://www.nftc.org/default/Innovation/PromotingCrossBorderDataFlowsNFTC.pdf -- Cheers, McTim "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel

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Re: [kictanet] Fwd: I AM FREE NOW.
by Jose' 05 Nov '11

05 Nov '11

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Bitange for President? Driving Knowledge Economy? Online Interview with PS Ndemo
by Grace Githaiga 04 Nov '11

04 Nov '11

Dear Listers Greetings. This is to inform you that PS Ndemo has agreed to articulate his vision in regard to his role under the new constitution, and his plans for the Internet Governance and ICT sector. PS Ndemo, can we in this sector say "Bitange for President?" And can we be confident that you would drive the country into a knowledge economy? Listers, this will not be an interrogation as such but an engagement similar to what was being done with "Yawe for Post Master General"-- the Kictanet style. Anyone with questions to PS Ndemo has this chance to ask him. The discussion will take place for five days, starting tomorrow wednesday August 3, 2011 to next week on tuesday August 9, 2011 and will be facilitated by me and Barrack Otieno. Over to you listers! Rgds Grace and Barrack

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Facebook Shuts Down Tonight
by Kamotho Njenga 04 Nov '11

04 Nov '11

For the big fans, please back up to avoid loosing your online "face" http://www.nation.co.ke/Tech/Hackers+pledge+to+deliver+new+world+without+Fa… Kamotho Njenga

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PC Tech Magazine November 2011 Issue: Free Download
by Albert Mucunguzi 04 Nov '11

04 Nov '11

Hi Listers, This month's PC Tech Magazine features, among other things, an extensive analysis of eBooks, and whether it's time to ditch your "paperback". The article is a build up from last year's "Future of Reading". There's also a detailed supplement on the upcoming Orange Uganda Expo 2011, with an interview with Chief Strategy Officer, Eduoard Blondeau. Those are just two of the stories featured in the 60-page magazine. Prints will be available next week. Follow the link below to download the High-Resolution version. You may also select a lighter one from the second link. http://pctechmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid… http://pctechmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=77&… - Link to select download options If you would like to contribute to our discussions, please join our mailing list from this link: http://groups.google.com/group/pctechmagazine Finally, we have a website where bloggers can share their "stuff". Visit http://blogs.pctechmagazine.com for details. Message body -- Albert Mucunguzi Company URL:pctech.co.ug, pctechmagazine.comPersonal Web:www.almuc.meBlog:almuc.me/blogTwitter:@albertmucFacebook:facebook.com/almucMessenger:albertmuc@hotmail.com

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OT: Vacancies at KSL
by Odhiambo Washington 03 Nov '11

03 Nov '11

Find details of vacancies at Kenya School of Law**** ** ** http://www.ksl.ac.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog… <http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ksl.ac.ke%2Findex.php%3Fop…> -- Best regards, Odhiambo WASHINGTON, Nairobi,KE +254733744121/+254722743223 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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Re: [kictanet] [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Internet Services more expensive in .KE than .TZ & .UG
by Walubengo J 03 Nov '11

03 Nov '11

True that Anders, the biggest component in the internet price equation is the cost of local access. But that still begs the question: Does .UG and .TZ enjoy a better domestic infrastructure/ better business environment/better tax regimes/etc (just to quote some of your variables) than .KE? Why are the costs in the neighbourhood lower than in .Ke? walu. --- On Thu, 11/3/11, Anders Comstedt <anders(a)ssvl.kth.se> wrote: From: Anders Comstedt <anders(a)ssvl.kth.se> Subject: SV: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Internet Services more expensive in .KE than .TZ & .UG To: "'Walubengo J'" <jwalu(a)yahoo.com>, "'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Cc: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com, "'I-Network Uganda'" <i-network(a)dgroups.org> Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011, 10:26 AM On your last comment , UG vs KE, and UG being “supplied” with bandwidth from KE, you live in a past mindset. The majority of the cost driver is local networks, and to some extent national backbones, not international connectivity. The VSAT days obscuring this are gone after the landing of fiber cables. This has become even more apparent after transit prices has plummeted, also in East Africa. Try Telegeography for some data on commercial conditions on Internet transit. Below USD 10 /Mb/month at global nodes. The price to get there on any global fiber system is USD 50-150 or less. Mombasa to London was expected to fall from USD 3000-5000 to USD 500 by the most optimistic pundits as cables arrive. It is now more like USD 100-150. Several deals include backbone transport to Kampala and other major landlocked nodes in that price. Just check what EASSy partners, like WIOCC, and SEACOM are into in their wholesale business. So the big cost element is the access network. In East Africa that is more or less the same as 3G mobile for Internet access but for some services in major cities. The second cost driver, far more expensive per Mb than international connectivity, is the national backbone, but it is (or should be) anyway just a few percent of the total. What is then the economics for 85-90% of the cost, local access, in various countries? Good business or bad business? Provider efficiency? What may drive or prevent competitive pressure? Taxes and license costs? Customer density? (covering sparsely populated areas is a financial disaster for telcos globally). Lots of things to benchmark. ITU statistics not very helpful here. Having more than a casual opinion about end-user prices begins with having knowledge about cost drivers. CheersAnders Från: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:eThinkTankTz@yahoogroups.com] För Walubengo J Skickat: den 3 november 2011 07:05 Till: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Kopia: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com; I-Network Uganda Ämne: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Internet Services more expensive in .KE than .TZ & .UG Contrary to popular belief, ITU's recent statistics @ http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/idi/2011/Material/MIS2011-ExceSum… indicates that ICT services (internet, voice, video) are generally more expensive in Kenya than in our neighbourhood. Specifically, the cost of ICT services as compared to average national incomes is at 30% for .UG, 31% for .TZ and 33% for Kenya. In layman terms, Kenyans have to fork out 33% of their average monthly income if they want to enjoy decent access (e.g. 20hrs of internet) per month. So PS Dr. Ndemo, it looks like before you become President, what are you doing to make sure we catch up and bypass our neighbours as far as pricing of ICT services is concerned? walu. nb: incidentally, we are the ones supplying .UG the bandwidth - so how comes its cheaper in Kampala? __._,_.___Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: Visit Your Group Anyone who would like to join eThinkTankTz is welcome to do so by sending a blank email to: eThinkTankTz-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com MARKETPLACEStay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use.__,_._,___

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: Pasha 2nd call for entries from Kenya ICT Board
by Paul Kukubo 03 Nov '11

03 Nov '11

Greetings, Kindly circulate widely, On behalf of the chairman and directors of Kenya ICT Board I am pleased to announce the second round; Pasha, call for Proposals. Note that the application process is ON-LINE.Therefore, you do not need to go to Family Bank to present your proposal. ONLY complete on-line applications will be accepted. You are advised to go through the following steps carefully, to assist you complete your application. Step-1: Log onto the Kenya ICT Board website- www.ict.go.ke; Step-2: Click on the "PASHA" banner; - takes you to the Pasha online application form Step-3: Register and log-in Step-4: Complete Pasha online application form Step-5: Click "submit" to complete the application process Step-6: Wait to get feedback. Applicants will be contacted via the email address provided on their application form. Shortlisted candidates will undergo a face to face interview at the Family Bank branch closest to their proposed business location.The successful applicants will be announced. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. The deadline for submission of applications is December 3rd 2011. You have 30 days; from today, to submit your proposal. Do not wait until the last day! Successful applicants will be required to present additional documentation in person where necessary. Note that applicants from the 37 constituencies listed HERE are not eligible to apply. These constituencies were part of the first round of successful applications and thus are not eligible for this round. If you may have any queries, do not hesitate to contact The Kenya ICT Board on 020-2089061 and e-mail pasha(a)ict.go.ke also visit our website on www.ict.go.ke. Questions sent via e-mail will be answered within 2days. Feel free to also visit the Kenya ICT Board offices. The physical address is shown below. Kind regards, Paul Kukubo CEO, Kenya ICT Board The Project: Kenya ICT Board Digital Village 'PASHA' Project Teleposta Towers-GPO, 12th Floor, Kenyatta Ave P.O. Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya t: + 254-20-2089061 | e: digitalvillage(a)ict.go.ke| Visit: www.ict.go.ke Forward email digital village(a)ict.go.ke | Kenya ICT Board | Telposta Towers, 12th Floor | Kenyatta Ave | P.o. box 27150-00100 | Nairobi | Kenya -- Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 717 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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