September 2012 - KICTANet

maddog blogs about his experience celebrating software in Kenya
by Evans Ikua 14 Sep '12

14 Sep '12

Into Africa: A visit to Kenya on Software Freedom Day, 2012 The first thing you notice about Kenya is that everyone wants to know your name. When you first meet a person from Kenya you ask their name, and you tell them your name. You shake their hand and ask them how they are doing. You ask about their family, and they ask about your family. Then they smile. I was in Kenya at the invitation of Evans Ikua, the coordinator for LPI in East Africa <http://www.lpi-eastafrica.org/>. I had met Evans several times due to FOSSFA (Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa<http://www.fossfa.net/>) meetings, and meetings of ict@innovation, a capacity building program funded mostly by the Government of Germany. Evans was coordinating Software Freedom Day (SFD) in Kenya, and wanted me as a speaker. Evans was also the Chairman of the Linux Professional Association of Kenya<http://www.lpakenya.org>. To sweeten the invitation, he promised to take me to a national wildlife preserve to watch the wildebeest (also known as GNU) migration. Please read more in his blog here<http://www.lpi.org/blog/africa-visit-kenya-software-freedom-day-2012> -- *---------------------------------------------------- Kind Regards, Evans Ikua,* lanetconsulting.com, lpi-eastafrica.org, ict-innovation.fossfa.net, Skype: @ikuae Cell: +254-722-955831

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Premium service web activations
by robert yawe 13 Sep '12

13 Sep '12

Hi All, I have been having an issue concerning activation of premium rate services on my phone which seem to be effected from the internet. Is it legal for the mobile provider to charge you for a premium rate service that was not done directly from your phone but from an online site that only requests for a mobile number? Last I checked knowing someones mobile number did not require water boarding. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Re: [kictanet] ISP Advertising Standards: Open Letter to CCK
by Victor Kapiyo 13 Sep '12

13 Sep '12

Collins, Listers, I think it's important to have standards. With regard to enforceability, allow me to quote some relevant provisions of the law: The Constitution provides for Consumer Protection under Art. 46: *46. (1) Consumers have the right—* *(a) to goods and services of reasonable quality; * *(b) to the information necessary for them to gain full benefit from goods and services; * *(c) to the protection of their health, safety, and economic interests; and * *(d) to compensation for loss or injury arising from defects in goods or services. * *(2) Parliament shall enact legislation to provide for consumer protection and for fair, honest and decent advertising. * *(3) This Article applies to goods and services offered by public entities or private persons* NB: The Consumer Protection Bill, which is to be enacted pursuant to Art 46 (2), is yet to be passed by Parliament. In addition, we already have regulations under the Kenya Information and Communication Act, i.e. Kenya Information and Communication (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2010, which is already in force. Allow me to quote: *"3. Rights and obligations of customers.* *(1) A customer shall have the right to— (a) receive clear and complete information about rates, terms and conditions for available and proposed products and services; (b) be charged only for the products and services they subscribe to; (c) where possible, select a service provider and service of the customer’s choice; (d) personal privacy and protection against unauthorized use of personal information; (e) accurate and understandable bills for products and services authorised by the customer, and to fair prompt redress in the event of a dispute in the provision of the products and services; (f) protection from unfair trade practices, including false and misleading advertising and anti-competitive behaviour by licensees; and (g) equal opportunity for access to the same type and quality of service as other customers in the same area at substantially the same tariff limiting variations to available or appropriate technologies required to serve specific customers."* And Rule 23: *"23. Offences and penalties. (1) A licensee who— (a) fails to perform the measurement, reporting and record keeping tasks within the required time; (b) fails to reach a target for any of the parameters stipulated under these Regulations; (c) fails to submit, during a time specified by the Commission, information requested by the Commission pursuant to these Regulations; (d) submits or publishes false or misleading information about the quality of its services; (e) obstructs or prevents an inspection or investigation carried out by the Commission pursuant to these Regulations; (f) engages in any act or omission whose effect would be to defeat the purposes of these Regulations, commits an offence. (3) A person who commits an offence under these Regulations shall, where no specific penalty is provided for, is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both."* As you can see from the foregoing, there are sufficient provisions in the law to regulate licensee conduct with regard to advertising. If these were followed and implemented to the letter by all persons, then we'd have more transparency especially with regard to advertising. What would perhaps problematic is the level of disclosure, i.e. what would constitute complete information within the meaning of the law? Here, I think that either standards or further guidelines would be important, to provide clear criteria or guidelines for the class, elements or type of information that would need to be disclosed to meet the threshold of the provisions so quoted. I think the industry needs to sit down and agree on this bearing in mind the industry best practices and the practicability of implementing the same in the Kenyan context. Victor Sent from my Windows 8 PC <http://windows.microsoft.com/consumer-preview> *From:* Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> *Sent:* 11 September 2012 21:06:26 *To:* vkapiyo(a)gmail.com *CC:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] ISP Advertising Standards: Open Letter to CCK Collins Good idea. We could also appeal to APA (Advertising Practitioners Association) as this also borders on culpability from an advertising agency perspective. Ali Hussein +254 773/713 601113 Sent from my iPhone® On Sep 11, 2012, at 8:52 PM, Areba Collins [ @BrainiacKE ® ]< arebacollins(a)gmail.com> wrote: Hello listers, Im following this from a discussion in the other list from one Kelvin, his assertions were: I think we need to as a group write a couple of recommendations for the CCK > to rein in ISPs especially how they advertise. This could cover aspects > such as :- > > > - Proper disclosure to customers on speeds i.e should Orange advertise > 21mbps and get away with it > - Outline whether its shared > - Provide figures for the FUP > - Disclose whether or not inernet is unlimited > > There are some things you wouldnt get away with the FCC in the US . > > What are your thoughts ? > > Kevin > > I need to hear what CCK has to say about this, I would very much preffer ISP companies to give full disclosure of what they are selling , using a standardized nomenclature. Could someone please advise if this is enforceable? Regards, -- *“The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy”* _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com 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. 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. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/vkapiyo%40gmail.com 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. 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.

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Update of Kenya's Copyright Law and alignment to Internet Technologies
by Michuki Mwangi 13 Sep '12

13 Sep '12

Hi Folks, I am interested in getting some information updating the Copyright law and aligning it with internet technologies. Would anyone on this list be in a position to share the information and sections under consideration etc?. Thanks and regards, Michuki.

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Cofek press conference on MTR and related issues
by stephen Mutoro 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

Dear all, I enjoy the wealth of expertise and non-concurrance on a number of ICT issues on this blog. Tomorrow, at 2pm, The Consumers Federation of Kenya (www.cofek.co.ke) will be addressing a press conference on the MTR (mobile termination rate) and related intrigues and the fact that the debate is getting out of control if not confusing. What if CCK approves lowering? What if it doesn't? What about the approach used by HE the President to communicate the decision. I will appreciate your urgent views on the way forward. Please feel free to criticize us/our position especially if it adds value to the subject matter. We really need to have this debate more focussed. Thanks. Stephen Mutoro Secretary General Cofek - Restoring consumer pride and confidence

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PC Tech Magazine - September 2012 Free download
by Albert Mucunguzi 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

Hi all, Just a reminder that you can download this month's issue of PC Tech Magazine on the link below, for free. http://www.pctechmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download… Enjoy -- Albert Mucunguzi Executive Director [image: PC Tech Logo] PC Tech Communications Plot 14 Martyrs' Lane, Ntinda P. O. Box 32180, Kampala, Uganda Company URL:*pctech.co.ug, pctechmagazine.com*Personal Web:* albertmucunguzi.com* <http://albertmucunguzi.com/>Blog:* albertmucunguzi.com/blog* <http://albertmucunguzi.com/blog>Twitter:* @albertmuc*Facebook:*facebook.com/almuc*Messenger:*albertmuc@hotmail.com*

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PUBLIC LECTURE - "Hot ICT Trends and Their impact on Organizational Business Practices."
by Ali Hussein 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

Listers This may be of interest: THEME: PUBLIC LECTURE - "Hot ICT Trends and Their impact on Organizational Business Practices." WHO: Prof. Nicolai Pogrebnyakov , Assistant Professor, Department of International Economics and Management, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. WHEN: Monday, September 17, 2012 TIME: 11:00am - 1:00pm WHERE: @ NaiLab, located at Bishop Magua Centre, 4th Floor, Ngong Road substitution, Prof Nicolai teaches and performs research in the areas of crowdsourcing, technology substitution, mobile technology and collaborative innovation. He also teaches Executive MBA In Leadership and International Business Development at Inoorero University. -- *Ali Hussein* Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo

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ITU SG says WCIT Talks Are Not About Internet Governance
by Alice Munyua 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

http://www.bna.com/itus-toure-wcit-b17179869586/ Tuesday, September 11, 2012 ITU's Toure: WCIT Talks Are Not About Internet Governance by Thomas O'Toole An editor on our staff, David McAuley, was fortunate to obtain an interview last week with International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré. The U.S. government has hammered away at Touré and the ITU all this year, accusing the international telecom body of using the upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) talks in Dubai as a forum to wrest key internet governance functions away from the private sector (and the U.S. government). The accusations clearly rankled Touré, who spoke at length about what WCIT is and is not about. WCIT 'Internet Governance' Hype Distracts Attention From Serious Issues, ITU Head Says By David McAuley The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) “has nothing to do with [internet] Governance,” International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré told BNA Sept. 5 during email and telephone interviews. Touré reiterated and expanded upon previously voiced criticisms of what he called “over-dramatic” characterizations of the WCIT-12 process as a push by some governments to wrest control over the internet and place it in the ITU. Touré also took the opportunity to try to refocus the debate surrounding WCIT-12 onto what he argued were serious issues that require urgent attention by ITU member states--such as data security and exorbitant roaming charges. WCIT Draws Near The ITU, the United Nations's agency for information and communication technologies, is hosting WCIT-12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from Dec. 3-14. The aim of the event is to revise the “International Telecommunication Regulations,” established by treaty in 1988 and widely credited with liberalizing the international telecom market, and enabling the growth that followed. The ITRs did not address the internet, however, which did not generate such a huge global impact until years later. WCIT-12 has garnered increasing criticism on substantive claims that it involves overreach by implicating the internet (17 ECLR 805, 5/2/12), and on transparency claims that the process is shrouded in secrecy. Touré has challenged the notion that either the United Nations or the ITU has designs on internet control, and has attempted, with some limited success, to pry the WCIT-12 process open for all stakeholders rather than just for ITU members. Serious Issues on Agenda Touré told BNA, “Internet Governance as we know it today” is about “Domain Names and addresses.” Internet governance, according to Touré, consists of: • the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions; • the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) functions; and • the ICANN-Verisign Corp. agreement on the root zone file and domain names. “These are issues that we're not talking about at all,” he said. “We're not pushing that, we don't need to.” Discussions on those internet governance topics are addressed by the Internet Governance Forum and the World Summit on the Information Society, Touré said. “WCIT is not going to duplicate this.” Touré stressed that the concern over internet governance should not drown out the opportunity for WCIT to take on matters of real import. “Why don't we talk about security, you cannot have freedom or privacy without security. If anyone can steal your identity you are not a free person.” There's so much on our plate. Why [would] I have to take over internet governance? Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union Roaming, the application of sometimes steep charges to maintain mobile device network-connectivity while the user travels from one country to another, is another WCIT topic that he said needs attention, calling it a very real issue for developing countries. There are others, he added, “We cannot talk about energy efficiency, we cannot talk about accessibility, we cannot talk about security for children?” “These are real issues we are talking about,” Touré said. “There's so much on our plate. Why [would] I have to take over internet governance?” Impact of Definitional Changes ITR Article 3 deals with international telecommunications networks. A summary of the existing proposals made public by the ITU, known as the “Draft of the Future ITRs,” shows a number of proposals for a new Article 3.5 that would touch upon naming, numbering, addressing, and identification. Touré disagreed with the suggestion that numerous proposals to add a new section 3.5 to the ITRs might have the effect of expanding the treaty to internet governance. “That is telecommunication numbering,” he said, something that preceded the internet. Some people, Touré added, will hijack a country code and open a phone line for pornography. “These are the types of things we are talking about, and they came before the internet.” Some have argued that proposals to revise certain treaty definitions might nevertheless have the effect of bringing internet naming and numbering into treaty coverage. For example, there are proposals to change the term “Telecommunication” to “Telecommunication/ICT,” and to change the definition of that term from covering “Any transmission, emission, or reception” of signals of any nature, to covering “Any transmission, emission, or reception, including processing” of such signals. Touré, in an email to BNA, challenged the idea that the proposed changes made a difference: It is important to note that transmission and reception of communications over IP-based networks is included in the present ITU definition of “telecommunications,” in the view of a number of ITU Member States. In fact, although there have been many discussions in the past regarding whether to change the formal wording of the definition, an argument advanced in favour of not doing so was precisely because technologies such as the Internet are already included, so there is no reason to change the definition. Touré, expanding on his emailed remarks, told BNA that the proposals that appear to involve the ITU in internet numbering and addressing were preliminary and subject to change. “These are preliminary proposals,” he said, “and I suspect that someone else will bring another counterproposal to this, we will analyze it and say yes, this is going beyond, and we'll stop it.” There is a misunderstanding in the debate, I am trying to refocus it, but some people don't want to listen to it. Hamadoun Touré What is important, Touré said, is that people are bringing up problems and proposing solutions, there is nothing behind the scene beyond that. “At the end of the day, we'll find the solution that is … workable for everybody … in the true tradition of the ITU.” Touré also expressed confidence that the WCIT meeting will successfully resolve controversy around another proposal that might implicate internet governance, this one involving a suggested change to Article 3.3 that would allow a member state to know how its traffic is routed, and to impose routing regulations for purposes of security and countering fraud. “Issues like that may have a real implication [leading possibly to] some impasse on the perception of freedom or privacy,” Touré said. But there will be counterproposals and we will find a middle ground, he said. Broadband Investment What WCIT-12 will do, Touré said, is “open up new opportunities for more investment in Broadband infrastructure to match … exponential growth in Data traffic.” Broadband capability must be made available for every community around the world, he said. That will take investment, and member states will discuss that in good faith and reach creative solutions to enable every person to exercise “his or her right to access, use, create and share information in an affordable and safe manner,” Touré said. The key, he added, will be to do this with “a sound regulatory system that is not heavy handed,” leaving the ICT sector with the right environment to flourish and prosper. Roads and Cars “This is like roads and cars,” Touré said. Traffic is growing exponentially, so governments need to make sure that highway infrastructure keeps pace with increased traffic on the roads. The highway engineer needs to make sure that the roads and bridges are correctly built. The highway engineer should be able to ask for details about the height and weight of cars and trucks without facing an objection that what the engineer really wants is to own the vehicles, Touré said. That makes no sense, Touré said, that is not what the engineer is asking for, and we should all instead work together for sound traffic management. “There is a misunderstanding in the debate, I am trying to refocus it, but some people don't want to listen to it,” Touré said. “When you buy a car you're not buying a road.” Settlement and Funding Touré said that WCIT will also focus on the settlement mechanism for the future of broadband traffic. “The old WCIT was based on simple voice telephony back in 1988 and that set the stage for the information society,” he said. Measurement metrics for international settlements were the time and location of the call, now the traffic is in bits and bytes, and time is irrelevant. There is a need to change the settlement process for combined voice, video, and data today, Touré said. He also said that “the flow of funds for Internet traffic” will be addressed at WCIT-12, but that cannot be considered to be a part of internet governance: There is nothing new about ITU discussing such flow of funds: it has been the topic of much discussion in ITU since 1998 and is the subject of Recommendation ITU-T D.50, which has been unanimously approved by all ITU Member States. … The Recommendation says that the value of traffic flow is one element, among others, to be taken into account in bilateral commercial arrangements by parties that provide international Internet connections. One suggestion for tackling funding has been put forward by the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association (ETNO), a Brussels-based group representing companies in 35 countries. It calls for “fair compensation for carried traffic,” and floated the idea of “the principle of sending party network pays”. “It is easy to criticize, but ETNO has the merit of putting its view on the table,” Touré said. Others should come up with counter proposals, debate will ensue, he added. “I am convinced we will find a common ground.” Participation, Consensus, and Transparency Details about how WCIT is arranged and who will participate are available on the ITU's WCIT Background Briefs website, Touré told BNA. Basically, he said, it will be members states that participate as WCIT is a treaty-making conference. Sector members, whom Touré described as “mainly private companies in the industry and other relevant organizations,” can participate as observers, and may be invited to speak. He said it is a common practice among member states to include individuals from sector members and private companies in their WCIT delegations. Each member state will have one vote, Touré said. But a vote is unlikely, he quickly added. “I believe it is not necessary, this is not what our Members want, it can and should be avoided in the true tradition of ITU.” ITU member states have come through two world wars and a cold war without a vote, and WCIT-12 should be no exception, Touré said. The organization has been particularly adept at achieving consensus, he said. Touré said that no decision has yet been made regarding press coverage of WCIT. The decision regarding press attendance will be formally made by the WCIT conference itself at the opening, which is normal ITU practice, he added. Touré appeared to support greater press access to the WCIT talks. “By giving opportunity to Press to attend and report we will improve understanding and reduce speculation.” By David McAuley --

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Fw: [AFRINIC-rpd] AFRINIC-17 Call for Fellowship Now Open!
by alice＠apc.org 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

This may be of interest. Best Alice Dear Colleagues, We are offering fellowships for our upcoming meeting taking place in Khartoum, Sudan, from the 24 to 29 November 2012. The fellowship is reserved for individuals representing small organisations, universities, and media who are actively involved in Internet operations and development or ICT policy in their countries and respective communities. The fellow is expected to positively and actively contribute to IP address management awareness in the AFRINIC service region. To qualify for the fellowship, you: * should be a resident of Africa; * must not necessarily be an AFRINIC member; * should be from a technical (IT, Computer Science) background; * have not benefited from previous AFRINIC fellowships; * are willing to report on how this fellowship has benefited you/your organisation/country. Upon selection of the fellows, AFRINIC will notify the selected fellows directly and allow the fellow seven (7) days to reply with an acceptance of the fellowship. A public announcement of the fellowship winners will be made after the acceptance by the winners. Please find hereafter the schedule for the fellowship process: 12 September 2012: Open Call for fellowship applications 25 September 2012: Close of applications 30 September2012: Notification to pre-selected fellows 07 October 2012: Deadline of acceptance by awarded fellow 08 October 2012: Final announcement and publication of fellowship list The fellowship includes: assistance with round-trip airfare to the meeting venue, hotel accommodation for the AFRINIC Plenary event from 27 November (the day before the beginning of the Plenary) to 29 November 2012 (the last day of the event). If you think you meet the criteria above, please fill in the fellowship application form at http://meeting.afrinic.net/afrinic-17/content/fellowship-programmeand submit it with your personal detail information before 25 September 2012. We wish you good luck and look forward to receiving your applications! Kind Regards, The AFRINIC Meeting Team -- Ms. Babusha Radhakissoon Tel: +230 403 51 00 PR and Marketing Assistant, AFRINIC Fax: +230 466 67 58 babusha(a)afrinic.net - www.afrinic.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join us at AFRINIC-17 for our Public Policy Meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, on 24 -- 29 November 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Babusha Radhakissoon <babusha(a)afrinic.net> Sender: rpd-bounces(a)afrinic.net Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:23:43 To: <rpd(a)afrinic.net> Subject: [AFRINIC-rpd] AFRINIC-17 Call for Fellowship Now Open! _______________________________________________ rpd mailing list rpd(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/rpd

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Fw: 3ie Request for Qualifications: NEPAD e-Africa Programme
by Florence Etta 12 Sep '12

12 Sep '12

FYI Sorry for cross posting. Cheers, FE Florence Etta Research & Development Evaluation Consulting Lagos, Ottawa & New York Alternative Email: florence.etta(a)gmail.com Skype: Fetta2010 Tel: +1 917-873-1224 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Paromita Mukhopadhyay <pmukhopadhyay(a)3ieimpact.org> To: florence.etta(a)gmail.com Sent: Wednesday, 12 September 2012, 2:46 Subject: 3ie Request for Qualifications: NEPAD e-Africa Programme DearFlorence, 3ie is inviting qualifications from teams wishing to be considered to design and implement an impact evaluation of NEPAD e-Africa Programme’s e-school initiative. Please forward this email to those who may be interested. Please note that: * The lead institution making the application must be located in Africa, with researchers of African nationality as lead Principal Investigator(s). * The research teams are, however, encouraged to seek an international partner to act in an advisory role. * The request is for qualifications of the team to prepare the evaluation design, not to submit a design. * The proposed budget for the proposal preparation costs should not to exceed $ 30,000. * The successful team will implement the evaluation, subject to approval by 3ie's external review panel. Please address your queries to pw2(a)3ieimpact.orgDeadline for application: 2359 hrs GMT October 15, 2012 For more information please visit: http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/funding/policy-window/request-qualifications-ne… Download Request for Qualifications: http://www.3ieimpact.org/media/filer/2012/09/11/nepad_rfq.pdf Thank you, 3ie Communications Team Paromita Mukhopadhyay Ph.D. Online Marketing and Communications Officer International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) Tel: +91 11 21639494/6885 Email: pmukhopadhyay(a)3ieimpact.org Skype: paromita.m Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

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