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ICT debate
by Rebecca Wanjiku 16 May '07

16 May '07

hi, confirmations are flowing in, i hope you will be there on wednesday 2pm at Norfolk, the debate will surely be heated, regards becky Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=graduation+gifts&cs=bz

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USDA ANNOUNCES NEW PROPOSED RULES FOR BROADBAND IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
by Alex Gakuru 16 May '07

16 May '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: WWWhatsup <joly(a)punkcast.com> Date: May 15, 2007 10:27 PM Subject: [isoc-ny] USDA ANNOUNCES NEW PROPOSED RULES FOR BROADBAND IN RURAL COMMUNITIES To: isoc-ny(a)yahoogroups.com, discuss(a)isoc-ny.org USDA ANNOUNCES NEW PROPOSED RULES FOR BROADBAND IN RURAL COMMUNITIES [SOURCE: US Department of Agriculture] On Friday, Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr announced the publication of new proposed rules designed to facilitate the further deployment of broadband services to rural communities nationwide. Key elements include: 1) Promoting deployment to rural areas with little or no service; 2) Ensuring that residents in funded areas get broadband access more quickly; 3) Limiting funding in urban areas and areas where a significant share of the market is served by incumbent providers; 4) Clarifying and streamlining equity and marketing survey requirements; 5) Increasing the transparency of the application process, including legal notice requirements, to make more informed lending/borrowing decisions; 6) Promoting a better understanding of all application requirements, including market survey, competitive analysis, business plan, and system design requirements; and 7) ensuring that projects funding are keeping pace with increasing demand for bandwidth. http://www.dailywireless.org/2007/05/14/rural-broadband-gets-a-plan/ -----

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reminder
by Rebecca Wanjiku 15 May '07

15 May '07

hi, just to remind you of the upcoming debate on ICT at the Norfolk, on wednesday (16th) at 2pm the confirmations are coming in, and it will be good for members to attend in huge numbers, hope to see you there, regards becky ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121

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Re: [kictanet] [Fwd: presidential aspirants' debate on ICT enabled Kenyan Economy
by Michuki Mwangi 15 May '07

15 May '07

waudo siganga wrote: > Thank you Engineer. I will be away for WITSA meetings in Kualr Lumpur > 14-19 May. Keziah Muthoni will attend on my behalf. > I see content opportunity - maybe if someone can provide bandwidth we can audio-stream the session live for those who not able to make it. Regards, -- Michuki Mwangi KENIC

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Live Streaming for presidential aspirants' debate on ICT enabled Kenyan Economy. Mainsteraming ICTs into the National Agenda
by alice 15 May '07

15 May '07

Apologies for cross posting Dear All Courtesy of KENIC and KDN, there will be live streaming of this event for those who can not make it to be there physically. The URL is: http://idhaa.kenic.or.ke:8001/ best alice ------------------------------------------------------------------- Michuki Mwangi wrote: > I see content opportunity - maybe if someone can provide bandwidth we > can audio-stream the session live for those who not able to make it. > > Regards, > > _______________________________________________ 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/alice%40apc.org

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End of Online Deliberation - CCK Internet Report
by John Walubengo 14 May '07

14 May '07

Dear All, I wish to 'officially' declare the above deliberation closed after 3 weeks of enriching online exchange. I want to thank all of you who spared the time and effort to contribute your ideas on the various topics. I also want to thank all those who spared the time to READ those contributions - even though you may have said nothing, am sure you may have learnt alot more like I did. As for the way forward? Basically, I would be compiling a summary of the deliberations in form of a report which will be published on the list and possibly handed over to appropriate authorities in a short 'Breakfast' ceremony that will be announced later after confirmations. Thanx again to all and hope to get your participation in future online deliberations. J. Walubengo KICTANet ____________________________________________________________________________________ TV dinner still cooling? Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.yahoo.com/

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KCCT looking for an Intergrated Management System.
by John Walubengo 14 May '07

14 May '07

Hey, Allow me to air some commercial, some of you may be ICT Consultants and may be interested.. ...KCCT went public (advertised) the other friday for the above system. Plse ask your colleagues who may be intrested in supplying the system to visit the url below for details. http://www.kcct.ac.ke/downloads/brochures/TenderNotice.pdf walu ____________________________________________________________________________________Get the Yahoo! toolbar and be alerted to new email wherever you're surfing. http://new.toolbar.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/mail/index.php

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"INFRASTRUCTURE SHARING" Nairobi, Kenya 6 – 7 June 2007: Eighth Forum on Telecommunications
by alice 13 May '07

13 May '07

"INFRASTRUCTURE SHARING" Nairobi, Kenya 6 – 7 June 2007 We are pleased to announce the eighth Forum on Telecommunications/ICT Regulation in Africa (FTRA-2007), organized by the Telecommunications Bureau (BDT) in collaboration with the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK).The Forum will be held in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya from 6 to 7 June 2007 and will be chaired by, Eng. John Waweru, the Director General, CCK. INFRASTRUCTURE SHARING: Africa is one of continents where countries are still working on the roll out of basic infrastructure, including the Telecommunications and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Various utilities and various Telecommunications and ICT Operators in particular, are running parallel infrastructure that if shared could have reduced the costs; duplications and wasting of scarce resource. Further by sharing some infrastructure we could minimize the negative impact in our environment! Can Policy Makers and Regulators Promote Infrastructure Sharing without jeopardizing the competition and the benefits to consumers? Would the Sharing of Infrastructure minimize the impact on the environment? What are the issues to be looked at when considering the infrastructure sharing and what are the long term implications? These and other topic will be introduced in the discussion paper being prepared by the ITU/BDT for discussion in the Forum. The Forum will be preceded in the same venue by the Public and Private Partnership Forum (PPPF-2007) from 4 to 5 June 2007, providing the opportunity for the participants to meet formally and informally the representatives from the Private Sector, Policy Makers and Regulators http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/afr/events/FTRA/Nairobi-2007/index.html <http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/afr/events/FTRA/Nairobi-2007/index.html>

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KENYA’S TEAMS FIBRE PROJECT LOOKS SET TO DRAW IN OTHER COUNTRIES
by alice 13 May '07

13 May '07

From Balancing Act: KENYA’S TEAMS FIBRE PROJECT LOOKS SET TO DRAW IN OTHER COUNTRIES At the East African Broadband Workshop in Kigali on 8-9 May, five Governments signed a communiqué that may well be the first step on the road to the widening out of participation in the TEAMS fibre project to all East African Community countries: these now include: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Signatories included three Ministers (Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda) and two senior officials (Burundi and Tanzania). The event was organised by the Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure and the US Digital Freedom Initiative. The communiqué noted that:”Progress must be made to bring undersea fibre optic cable systems and backbone connections to the region as quickly as possible.” In a diplomatically worded statement clearly aimed at the faltering NEPAD sponsored project it stated that all fibre projects “should aim to meet the requirements of all public and private stakeholders.” The Kenyan Government requested the nomination of technical teams from East African countries and said it would brief regional governments about the technical, legal and investment details in 4-6 weeks time. Furthermore, the signatories agreed that the EAC should adopt “an open access policy for backbone networks and agree that they should be operated on a non-discriminatory manner based on a cost model that is sustainable, which supports regional interconnectivity and allows for high end usage that is affordable to the end users within three months.”

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KENYA SPECIAL: MARKET GETS READY FOR CHEAPER BANDWIDTH
by alice 13 May '07

13 May '07

TOP STORY FROM BALANCING ACT: KENYA SPECIAL: MARKET GETS READY FOR CHEAPER BANDWIDTH _____________________________________________________________________ The Kenyan Internet market is set for a big change as the players transform their strategies to take advantage of new opportunities. With legal VoIP, they are now no longer looking at just offering Internet access. Once the long-delayed interconnect agreements are sorted out, these newcomers will start making inroads into the voice market. With the arrival of cheaper, plentiful international bandwidth in 2008, those who will flourish in a competitive market will no longer primarily sell bandwidth. With cheaper broadband offers, the number of their customers will increase and they will look to services and applications that they can sell their customers. The market is going through a major period of re-alignment and investment. Access Kenya’s IPO was four times over-subscribed, showing the level of interest there is in the market and it has plans to expand (see On the Money) . Telkom South Africa is now the proud owner of Africa Online and is devising its strategy for both the pan-African and local markets. ATC is now firmly at the helm of Wananchi and has ambitious expansion plans. There are also losers as we understand that there are at least two ISPs that are not in the best of financial health. Last week five governments signed a communiqué in Kigali saying that the East Africa Community “should adopt an open access policy for backbone networks”. TEAMS will be fast-tracked, promising to start in Q1 2008 and it will seek input from regional partners within 4-6 weeks. (see Internet News below). Meanwhile, a large team from the private sector competitor project, Sithe’s Seacom, was in Nairobi last week talking to potential customers. The heat is on to see who will be the first to market with cheaper international fibre. In this Kenya special, Russell Southwood interviews John Joseph, the new CEO of Africa Online who gives some pointers about its future direction and to Kai Wulff, CEO of KDN whose recent “free access” experiment provides a fascinating insight into the potential size of the market. After the flattening out of dial-up demand, the market’s on the move again with strategies to attract new customers in what looks set to become a much bigger market. * AFRICA ONLINE’S NEW CEO LAYS OUT HIS STALL In an interview last Friday, Africa Online’s new CEO talked to Russell Southwood about his strategy to revive the company and renew faith in its pan-continental brand. He spoke frankly about how he sees competitive markets and the kind of opportunities the company will pursue. Q: Why did Telkom buy Africa Online? It links immediately with the pan-African acquisition target Telkom has set itself and its desire to create a presence across the continent. It’s been looking right across the IT scale (at potential acquisitions), including fixed and mobile service providers. Africa Online gives us the opportunity to immediately get into eight countries and the ability to opportunity to expand in each of them. It gives us immediate access to the existing licences and the potential to acquire new licences in these territories. In addition, we have affiliates in 20 countries where they are resellers of our corporate connectivity services. We’re searching for affiliates in those countries where we currently don’t have a presence. There’s a also number of carriers in South Africa and the Far East who want to be able to deal with one service operator. We’re also talking to major European carriers who we will be pursuing to set up agreements to provide corporate connectivity and obviously similarly with Telkom SA. It’s always had difficulties with a number of corporates about creating a presence across Africa to meet their needs, companies like retailers and banking organisations, to provide reliable connectivity in their branches. Q: What about the competitors in that market? There’s very few competitors in that space and that’s what makes it attractive. We’ve also had discussions with providers in Hong Kong. Q: What’s the current subscriber base across the eight countries? There’s around 15,000 subscribers. Q: So where are you starting from? We’re offering dial-up and broadband access. The broadband we’re rolling out is using iBurst which is already set up in Kenya and Ghana. We’re currently sorting out spectrum licences to roll that out elsewhere. Our main business will become broadband. We want to significantly grow existing services and add growth in new markets. There’s currently limited iBurst coverage in Kenya with only Nairobi and Mombasa but we’re looking to expand. Q: What kinds of things will you be investing in? There’s currently a limitation on operations that we need to address to increase the top line. The way we do our business is limiting the number of orders per month we can handle. We need to invest in IT systems for process flow. There are limitations on connectivity and bandwidth. We need to increase in-country connectivity and international connectivity and get subscriber numbers up. We need to look at our initial technology choices – iBurst – and then have a wireless base station roll-out. We need to expand services like good quality VoIP services. We’re trialling these within African Online at the moment but we have to do a lot more to improve them. We need to invest in products like VoIP and video calling. Q: What about investment in the brand? I’ve picked up on the history of pride with the brand but this has faded over time. We need to create a passion for the brand in Kenya and other countries but also outside of the continent. Customers need to know what they might get so it’s the brand plus the quality of the product. The brand association should be quality and price. I see a lot of other ISPs advertising here in Kenya and elsewhere and we need to create our own external profile. But we also need to do create that profile internally within the company so that Africa Online is the employee of choice. Q: You mentioned the need for more plentiful, cheaper bandwidth. What’s your attitude to SAT3 and the new East coast fibre projects? My opinion is that there’s a real urgency to get an undersea fibre cable landed on the East coast. It will change the whole ICT marketplace in East Africa. It changes the capacity of price per consumer that would be possible and provides quality connectivity. I believe that the prices we now see on SAT3 and other projects are coming down. I’m flying to the west coast later this month to discuss this. We have to have more investment in fibre projects because it’s a supply and demand issue. Q: Will you be focusing only on services or will you also look at infrastructure? There’s some discussion on the West coast of Africa about looking at providing some infrastructure. Specifically we’re looking at bandwidth provision to other ISPs in some countries. There’s discussions about facilitating that so investment is focused on the service layer but progressing infrastructure and connectivity. Q: Will demand increase if prices come down? Even without price reductions, demand is not being met. We’re moving forward on broadband in Kenya and it’s going to be very competitive. We need to remove the bottlenecks and offer more cost effective offerings. There’s a great deal of demand there but it’s not being fulfilled because of the limitations of current coverage. Q: How does it feel being in a competitive market? I’ve seen greater liberalisation in East Africa than down in South Africa. Regulators in the region have moved more quickly towards competition and deregulating the marketplace. Within the South African marketplace, there’s great competition but there’s a need from the regulatory point of view to change the landscape more. The reality’s there but there’s the need for more implementation. Q: Telkom SA has expressed interest in buying Telkom Kenya. How would it work? Do you buy it or does the parent company? Africa Online is looking to expand. We’re looking at ISP operations, new markets and new licences to grow. However, we would not look at buying into Telkom Kenya as Africa Online. Telkom SA’s expansion plans are looking at all operations throughout Africa and that’s what they’re really pursuing. We are operating as an arms length subsidiary but generating synergies between the two operations. * KDN’S FREE ACCESS OFFER UNCOVERS EXTENT OF WI-FI DEVICES KDN’s Wi-Fi service called Butterfly has been offered for free with no login page on the basis of a word-of-mouth “whispering” campaign and the results have thrown up some potential surprises about the shape and size of the Kenyan market and what the users really want. The free trial took place over a public holiday when there would be plenty of bandwidth available. According to KDN’s CEO Kai Wulff:”We wanted to see where our traffic threshold was. It got up to 22,000 users and then we were smoked away. There were things like corrupted config files occurring.” When it crashed, it was provisioned for 40 megs up and 40 megs down. The significance of the test is that there are 22,000 users with separate MAC addresses using Wi-Fi-enabled devices, purely on the basis of spreading news about the offer on a word-of-mouth basis. It guesses that the figure may actually be double or triple that number. KDN itself has sold around 2,000 Wi-Fi cards in the last few months. At present, Wulff says that:”A broadband service costs on average around KS30,000 a month and I’m confident that by the end of the year there will be 20-30,000 users on a pay-for basis.” Interestingly, customer expectations have gone up considerably with the provision of the Wi-Fi service. Wulff says:”Customers expect the service to be like a leased line. When they see the Wi-Fi indicator going from 48 meg to 36 meg, I start to get customers ringing me on my mobile.” So what was the demand from customers over the free period? Lots were browsing international content. There was a lot of VoIP usage, particularly Skype, where users were phoning each other both within the country and outside it. The network was offered without bandwidth restrictions and it enabled peer-to-peer services like Skype to work well. Apparently lots of students found out about the offer and went out and bought Wi-Fi cards to take advantage of it. Peak use period was after-office hours between 7-9 pm. On a pay for basis, VoIP use (by traffic) on the KDN network is between 10-15% but rises to 20% on the Butterfly service. It’s possible to have a Skype conversation between two people without delays. Unfortunately users are not as security conscious with Skype and viruses are now being spread by users. KDN is now offering all its ADSL 2 customers (unless they specifically request otherwise) Funkwerk modems with Wi-Fi capability. Out of the 24 meg capacity, 4 meg is devoted to Wi-Fi, in effect creating lots of little base stations and thus rolling out coverage to an ever wider number of places. It has tested IP-TV over Wi-Fi and although this is not yet commercially available, it is talking to KTN about offering content.

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{Disarmed} {Filename?} FW: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Short term opportunities for Software developers ..
by Harry Hare 13 May '07

13 May '07

Warning: This message has had one or more attachments removed Warning: (Tender No. 38 .pdf). Warning: Please read the "smtpout.swiftkenya.com-Attachment-Warning.txt" attachment(s) for more information. Any takers? _____ From: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Raymun Mutagahywa Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 11:32 AM To: eThinkTankTz(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Short term opportunities for Software developers .. Hi EThinkers, We have advertised this call for Expressions of Interest as of Monday 7th May 2007. I would encourage any capable ethinkers to respond or, inform people whom they think are capable. We would also welcome any hints on any other forums (in the East Africa region) that would have people interested in software development work using JAVA, MS Visual Studio, ASP.Net and MS SQL or Oracle databases. Please respond to my official address: raymondmutagahywa@ <mailto:raymondmutagahywa%40estabs.go.tz> estabs.go.tz and cc: to raymunm@hotmail. <mailto:raymunm%40hotmail.com> com Thanks and Best Regards, Raymond Mutagahywa M & E Database Specialist Presidents Office - Public Service Management >From: eThinkTankTz@ <mailto:eThinkTankTz%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com >Reply-To: "No Reply"<notify-dg-eThinkTan <mailto:notify-dg-eThinkTankTz%40yahoogroups.com> kTz(a)yahoogroups.com> >To: eThinkTankTz@ <mailto:eThinkTankTz%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com >Subject: [www.eThinkTankTz.org] Digest Number 2006 >Date: 10 May 2007 10:21:50 -0000 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Think Tank on the development of Information and Communications Technology >as the "infostructure" for socio-economic progress > > > > > > Think Tank on the development of Information and Communications >Technology as the "infostructure" for socio-economic progress > > > Messages In This Digest (2 > Messages) > > > > > 1a. > > Re: World Bank in turmoil > From: > eberhardblocher > > > 2. > > Hardening your Firefox browser > From: > Dharmin > > > > View All Topics | Create New Topic > > > Messages > > > > 1a. > > > > Re: World Bank in turmoil > > Posted by: "eberhardblocher" > director@ourtanzani <mailto:director%40ourtanzania.com> a.com > > > eberhardblocher > > > > Wed May 9, 2007 8:01 am (PST) > > > Greetings eThinkers, > > > >now this is totally off-topic. But sorry, couldn't resist. > >It was David Sawe who started this thread, by the way, didn't you, > >David? Thanks to Mervyn Lobo of Tanzanet for pointing out this piece > >of news, giving a new twist to the matter. > > > >Wolfowitz's Girlfriend Resigns as Wolfowitz's Girlfriend > > > >Relinquishes Girlfriend Post `Effective Immediately' > > > >In yet another setback for the embattled World Bank > >president, Paul Wolfowitz's girlfriend Shaha Riza > >announced today that she was resigning as Mr. > >Wolfowitz's girlfriend, "effective immediately." > > > >While Ms. Riza's role in the conflict of interest > >scandal involving Mr. Wolfowitz and the World Bank had > >placed her in the eye of the media storm, few had > >expected her to relinquish her girlfriend post without > >a fight. > > > >But according to a source close to Ms. Riza, the > >increasing pressure on the high-profile couple in > >recent days had convinced her that she "could no > >longer function effectively as Paul Wolfowitz's > >girlfriend." > > > >A joint communiqué released by the couple indicated > >that the decision to leave her girlfriend post was > >entirely Ms. Riza's, but sources close to Mr. > >Wolfowitz suggest that the idea had originated not > >with her, but with the World Bank president himself. > > > >According to one source, "Paul had dinner with Shaha > >last night and told her they should start seeing other > >banks." > > > >News of Ms. Riza's departure sparked speculation that > >Mr. Wolfowitz's might have difficulty acquiring a new > >girlfriend, but according to Vice President Dick > >Cheney, who has served as Mr. Wolfowitz's unofficial > >"wingman" for years, nothing could be farther from the > >truth. > > > >"The fact that the World Bank found Paul guilty of > >wrongdoing gives him an air of danger," Mr. Cheney > >said. "The ladies dig that." > > > >--- In eThinkTankTz@ <mailto:eThinkTankTz%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com, "David Sawe" <david.sawe@...> wrote: > > > > > > Greetings eThinkers, > > > > > > > > > > > > This posting may be a little off-topic in our forum. But given the > >global > > > role of the World Bank in our areas of interest, it is certainly of > > > relevance to us. The article below contains some interesting > >perspectives, > > > while depicting of how key countries are dealing with this widely > >publicised > > > crisis situation. It seems that departure is now imminent, and only > > > questions about modalities remain at this stage. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (3) > > > > 2. > > > > Hardening your Firefox browser > > Posted by: "Dharmin" > Dharmin.Mandalia@ <mailto:Dharmin.Mandalia%40tanganet.net> tanganet.net > > > dharmin98 > > > > Thu May 10, 2007 12:36 am (PST) > > > Hello > > > >As some of you use Firefox browser, worth reading info on below url :- > >http://searchenterp <http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid39_gci1254195,0 0.html> riselinux.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid39_gci1254195,00.html > >http://firekeeper. <http://firekeeper.mozdev.org/index.html> mozdev.org/index.html > >and > >http://prefbar. <http://prefbar.mozdev.org/> mozdev.org/ > > > >Regards > >Dharmin > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (1) > > > > > > > > > > Recent Activity > > > > 3 > New Members > > > > > > > > > > Visit Your Group > SPONSORED LINKS > > > Tanzania safaris > Tanzania travel > Information and communication technology > Communication technology > Ict > > > > > > > Yahoo! Music > >Check Who's Next > >Discover new bands > >before anyone else > > Y! Messenger > >Instant hello > >Chat over IM with > >group members. > > Yahoo! Mail > >Drag & drop > >With the all-new > >Yahoo! Mail Beta > > > > > Need to Reply? > >Click one of the "Reply" links to respond to a specific message in the >Daily Digest. > > > > > > Create New Topic | > > Visit Your Group on the Web > > > > > > Messages > | Files > | Photos > | Links > | Database > | Polls > | Members > | Calendar > > > Anyone who would like to join eThinkTankTz is welcome to do so >by sending a blank email to: > >eThinkTankTz- <mailto:eThinkTankTz-subscribe%40yahoogroups.com> subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com > > > > > > > > > Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) > > Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Individual | Switch >format to Traditional > > > Visit Your Group | > > Yahoo! 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How to Upgrade 22,000 Nurses in Kenya
by Harry Hare 13 May '07

13 May '07

Dear Colleagues, As we debate the CCK report its also important to reflect on other successful initiative in the country. On such initiative is a partnership between AMREF, the Nursing Council of Kenya and Accenture, a global management consultancy, technology services, and outsourcing company, where 22,000 nurses will have an opportunity of continuous professional development through ICT or if you like eLearning. I wonder how many such initiatives are taking root albeit quietly in the country. Congratulations are in order to both AMREF and the Nursing Council of Kenya for this effort. Kindest Regards Harry http://www.checkpoint-elearning.com/article/3925.html How to Upgrade 22,000 Nurses in Kenya Nairobi (KEN), May 2007 - In a public-private partnership, Accenture and the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) have developed the Kenya Nurses Training Program. eLearning Program Manager Adesuwa Akinboro from AMREF will present this very successful case study in the conference section "Online Learning Opportunities for Health Professionals". How did the cooperation with Accenture come to be? Adesuwa Akinboro: AMREF and the Nursing Council of Kenya have been involved in the training of nurses for over five years now. Initially, this was through the distance education print-based mode. However, due to the chronic nurse shortage, the need to accelerate the training of health workers arose. AMREF approached Accenture, a global management consultancy, technology services, and outsourcing company with many years of experience in eLearning for a solution. Together, AMREF, Accenture, and the Nursing Council of Kenya designed a solution to address the chronic shortage of registered nurses in the country. Could you please describe the outline of the program? Adesuwa Akinboro: Twenty-seven nursing schools are currently implementing the program. Their role is to enrol the students, who are drawn from hospitals, health centers, non-governmental organisations, and from the general population. The students must meet the following requirements: * A community health nurse certificate (ECHN); * Furthermore, government employees should have more than three years of service. Once enrolled, the students take the course at their places of work on computers that are installed and maintained by AMREF. The program currently has 100 of these centers equipped with a total of 340 computers. These include hospitals and medical training colleges. The eLearning centers have an AMREF trained mentor whose responsibility is to assist the students during their clinical placements and to serve as the first level of computer help-desk support. The upgrading program is structured into four modules. Every module consists of several units with two self-tests in each module. In addition to the self-tests, the schools administer a written exam at the end of each module and a final exam at the end of the course. The school also monitors student progress on an ongoing basis. The need for practical experience cannot be over emphasised. The program requires that all students receive practical experience at approved hospitals, and this is one of its strengths since it allows students to put into practice the knowledge they will have acquired almost immediately. What has been the most important experience? Which obstacles did you have to overcome? Adesuwa Akinboro: This has been a very exciting program. It has motivated the nurses enrolled in their provision of health services across the country. The nurse managers have also noted and commented on the improved service delivery as a result of the eLearning programme. In addition, it has enabled many nurses who previously did not have the opportunity to take the course to do so. Such multi-faceted national level programs will encounter obstacles in implementation, particularly when they contain such innovative components. The program has a strong risk management strategy in place and thus mitigates the following risks and challenges: * The need for internet access, connectivity, and IT infrastructure in the hospitals where the nurses work. AMREF has provided computers but is currently looking into the connectivity issue. * The release of students from hospitals to take up the training, since nurse managers initially did not quite grasp the benefits that eLearning can bring. * The fees charged by schools. As you might expect, the cost of taking the course should be less than that of a residential course. This has not always been the case. Through stakeholder sensitisation, this is gradually being achieved. * Policy issues: there is the need to integrate eLearning into the training policy for health workers. * Stakeholder identification and involvement is crucial to ensuring their participation support and continued buy-in. So far over 2,000 student nurses have been enrolled for the eLearning courses. Can you tell us any success stories? Adesuwa Akinboro: Through our monitoring and evaluation exercises, we have received feedback from nurse managers regarding improvement in the quality of care provided by the trainee nurses. The managers have attributed this to the eLearning course. In addition, nurses have broadened their managerial and technical knowledge and acquired IT skills. This has enhanced their confidence and motivation. The program has enabled more nurses to enroll than was previously possible with the residential programme. Some nurses who previously could not get admitted to the course due to the limited number of places available and who have tried for over ten years have finally been able to enroll. The uptake of the program by students, schools, and hospitals has been overwhelming. Many more nurses need to be trained. What are the next steps that need to be taken? Adesuwa Akinboro: A core component of this program is skills transfer and as such, the partnership has built up the capabilities of AMREF, the Nursing Council of Kenya, and the schools, including through a bespoke training programme delivered by Accenture Learning. The eLearning model can be used to train other cadres of health workers even to the degree level. We now cover all of the country's eight provinces. This infrastructure is capable of training the remaining nurses. We also intend to hook up the centers to the Internet so that we can improve communication and access to information, encourage collaboration among students, improve data management, and get the most out of our Learning Management System. Will the cooperation between AMREF and Accenture continue? Adesuwa Akinboro: Yes, the cooperation will continue. As a result of this program, AMREF and Accenture have extended the partnership to include other organizational areas such as strategic support. Furthermore, discussions are also underway that will allow replication of the program in other African nations. This is indeed just the beginning and an excellent example of North-to-South cooperation and of a public-private partnership. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Naturing the next ICT Gurus
by Jose' 12 May '07

12 May '07

Apologies Walu and all for interrupting the discussion on the CCK internet study report. Kimathi Information centre "DIGITAL VILLAGE" is now One year and five months old.We have upto 13 computers connected to ADSL internet that serves upto 5 communities around our constituency.We are the only running digital village in our Kamukunji costituency and Nairobi area. We believe in naturing young talent and approaching different age groups with their interest.Part of our 6 computers are used by children from 4 year olds to 12 year olds to play computer games thus creating a craving for them to learn more on how the computers work. Due to the overwhelming number of children per day on weekends,(70 per day on weekends),we have aquired Two Play stations. We therefore require two television sets to use them on the Play stations(PS) to actually meet the game demand.It doent matter if the televisions are second hand.This kids need to be adressed at there level.Kindly respond if you can help the next ICT gurus. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. ____________________________________________________________________________________Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/

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Re: [kictanet] Day 7-9 -The Impact of The Recommendations-CCKInternet Rprt
by Meoli Kashorda 11 May '07

11 May '07

The recommendation does NOT state that the regulator should build the national fiber backbone. It is the government, DCNOs, and partners (see http://www.cck.go.ke/recommendations) Report does not go into the details of how these will be achieved. However, the government plans to establish a Universal Service Fund defined in ICT Policy 2006 and draft KIC 2006 bill. The government has also recently created the ICT board (see relevant gazette notice). In addition, Mobile operators and DCNOs continue to build national telecommunications and Internet infrastructures. There are therefore many vehicles that could be used to create a national broadband backbone. Data shows that in the last five years, the national Internet infrastructure has been growing very slowly and largely in the Nairobi and Mombasa. Only the Mobile Internet might increase penetration if it follows mobile coverage. But there are only about 200,000 mobile Internet customers out of the total 8 million mobile customers (2.5%). A National Information Infrastructure (NII) is really an ICT strategy that is aligned to the national strategic economic plans (see Singapore, Mauritius, China NII ). That is, NII aligns the national economic/development strategy with the national ICT strategy (not policy). That is the only way to translate infrastructure to traffic and therefore revenue for the operators. By the way, have any of you ever wondered why so many of us prefer to send SMS messages at 5/- per 160 bytes while Mobile Internet is available at 10/- per Mbytes from the same provider? Does it mean affordability does not matter? Meoli _____ From: kictanet-bounces+mkashorda=strathmore.edu(a)kictanet.or.ke [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Eric Osiakwan Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 7:45 PM To: Meoli Kashorda Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 7-9 -The Impact of The Recommendations-CCKInternet Rprt 1. Regulator building national fiber infrastructure is a VERY BAD recommendation, am sorry. Regulator is Referre and MUST remain asuch. 3. Develop National Information Infrastructure, please watch this too. Am surprised though that there is no recommendation for the regulator to gain MORE AUTONOMY and INDEPENDENCE through laid out engagements with the government and more oversight from the industry stakeholders. Eric here On 9 May 2007, at 08:01, John Walubengo wrote: In trying to improve on the arising Internet Statistics, the Report set out specific recommendations for the Regulator(CCK) some of which are summarised by Category below. 1.Network Infrastructure (CCK Action Points) *Build National Fiber Infrastructure *Merge ISP & IGO Licenses(Create DCNO licenses) *Make SLA (Service Level Agreements) mandatory for Operators *Operate the National Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) on a PPP basis 2. Affordability (CCK Action Points) *Make Tariff Publishing Mandatory of (Internet) Operators *Require Flat-rate or Volume Based Pricing for Dialup & Mobile Internet Services *Increase competition for Fixed Line and Mobile Services 3. Dispersion (CCK Action Points) *Fund Annual 'Demand-Side' Internet Studies *Develop National Information Infrastructure *Review and implement Univesal Access Fund/Strategy Again, Operators, Consumers, Govt, Regulator, Academia and others Lets hear your views. To what extend do you think the above action points will improve on the status of Infrastructure, Affordability and Dispersion? More importantly, why do you think some of the Action Points will not fly (work)? And what specific changes would make them work? We have upto Friday 11th May on this conclusive phase. Lets think 'beyond' the box and plse don't hold back your ideas, the more unconventional the better ;-). walu. ________________________________________________________________________ ____________ The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php _______________________________________________ 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/eric%40afrispa.org Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now"

2 2

Naturing the next ICT Gurus
by Jose' 11 May '07

11 May '07

Apologies Walu and all for interrupting the discussion on the CCK internet study report. Kimathi Information centre "DIGITAL VILLAGE" is now One year and five months old.We have upto 13 computers connected to ADSL internet that serves upto 5 communities around our constituency.We are the only running digital village in our Kamukunji costituency and Nairobi area. We believe in naturing young talent and approaching different age groups with their interest.Part of our 6 computers are used by children from 4 year olds to 12 year olds to play computer games thus creating a craving for them to learn more on how the computers work. Due to the overwhelming number of children per day on weekends,(70 per day on weekends),we have aquired Two Play stations. We therefore require two television sets to use them on the Play stations(PS) to actually meet the game demand.It doent matter if the televisions are second hand.This kids need to be adressed at there level.Kindly respond if you can help the next ICT gurus. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || ____________________________________________________________________________________ Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. http://sims.yahoo.com/

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Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability- CCKInternetStudyReport
by Florence Etta 11 May '07

11 May '07

Looks like we are looking to issues around the last mile for which a whole mesh of possibilities, actors and services must be considered, planned for and provided. If monopolies continue, forget lower prices and affordability! The governemnt is right in looking to provide the super highway and so it ought. And in doing so it is in its purview to take any loans from any development banks that it can get and at reasonably low interest rates. My only concern is that the AfDB is nowhere in sight or is it? With such high ROI on th continent from ICT investments as I am told where is the AfDB playing? Some one pls tell me or indeed the national dev banks? Are they any to speak of? O just for news; the Nigerian ICT community is celebrating the hand over of managemnt of the top level domain name .ng to nigerians! Cheers from hot and humid Lagos, FE ----- Original Message ---- From: alice <alice(a)apc.org> To: feanywhere(a)yahoo.co.uk Sent: Monday, 7 May, 2007 11:08:31 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability- CCKInternetStudyReport Dear all Talking about government’s engagement in infrastructure development, the Malaysian government, for example was one of the first to attempt to replicate the Silicon Valley model in a developing country. “In its attempt to move the ICT sector to attract domestic and foreign private investment, the Malaysian government invested in creating a world class physical and information infrastructure. Called the Multimedia Super Corridor, this USD 40 billion initiative now serves as the backbone for the country’s information superhighway. The network is supported by a high-speed link, which connects to Japan, ASEAN, the US and Europe. The network is also capable of supporting extensive public, education and business applications”. Beyond infrastructure, the Malaysian government provides attractive tax incentives for world-class technology-led companies to participate in the MSC initiative. And most importantly, it launched actions to provide a well-educated work force with relevant skill levels ranging from technical to research. I see nothing wrong with the Kenya government investing in infrastructure for public good, while private sector supporting this venture by perhaps focusing on the infrastructure as well, technology aspect, content, applications, skills, civil society assisting by ensuring there is demand at the local/rural level, etc The idea here being partnerships. We do seriously need to consider strategies for partnerships, which would involve leveraging the creative potential of the different actors, allowing them to work on the basis of both established as well as new roles and responsibilities. That implies sharing of resources and responsibilities (sharing not shifting risks). For this to happen there is need to ensure that there is sufficient mutual respect and trust between partners to enable them to work together. (The above comments are is entirely personal and do not reflect any position of the organisations I am affiliated with) alice Kai U. Wulff wrote: > Well, > > If you tender the capacity you require in Garissa, we will quote a price and > commit a deployment of fiber. > > Kai > > -----Original Message----- > From: kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 18:10 > To: kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability- > CCKInternetStudyReport > > Dear All, > Please do not be misled. The Government will never compete with anybody. > All that is being done is to develop a platform where big and small can > reasonably compete. I think Kai is confusing Telkom projects and > Government infrastructure projects. If the private sector indeed wanted > to do infrastructure projects they will have done so but most private > sector have to have a business case first. I wonder why Kai did not do > the Garisa route first before heading to Uganda. Please understand that > Government has the obligation to provide infrastructure. > > > Regards > > > Bitange Ndemo. > > > > > > >> My point is: >> >> Yu have limited room for infrastructure since the cost is constant and >> only >> increased usage can drop the price. The Government should NOT be a >> competitor but a price sensitive user! >> >> You will have enough people now competing for the business of the >> Government >> and the private users .. That forces prices down. Having a state owned >> cable >> or a state owned Telkom is in my opinion not the way forward. >> >> Rgds >> >> Kai >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >> Wainaina Mungai >> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 10:35 >> To: kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability- >> CCKInternetStudyReport >> >> Kai said; >> >>> The problem is when you create the demand and then some World Bank money >>> starts to compete before you can recover the cost.. >>> ...The private sector needs the Government as a user there as well as >>> the >>> private companies and consumers. [Only then will the prices drop!] >>> >> Pricing >> I would like to assume that competition from government is as good as >> competition from other market players. The beauty of competition is in the >> way it forces the private sector to put a smile on the face of every >> consumer ;-) so as to guarantee revenue. I am convinced that a significant >> drop in prices results only from fierce competition and some degree of >> regulation. TESPOK and others fought for years to introduce competition >> which resulted in the current lower prices of internet and telephony >> services. >> >> >> The recent intervention of CCK on the pricing of mobile services is a case >> that proves that price controls may become necessary to protect consumers. >> For internet services, we need many 'small scale' providers whose products >> and pricing would be more market-driven and responsive to fluctuations in >> consumer needs. >> >> For instance, an internet user paying KShs. 6,000 per month for DSL per >> month is actually incurring 14 cents per minute for a 30-day month. This >> is >> a great deal for any 24 hour user who may even make money through such >> access to the internet. The same user would be said to incur 28 cents per >> minute if s/he were to use the link for an average 12 hours per day at the >> same monthly rate. There may be a catch here but there is a high >> probability >> that more businesses can survive on such low rates and pass such rates >> down >> to rural consumer. >> >> >> >> --- >> Wainaina Mungai >> http://www.madeinkenya.org >> >> SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is development that meets the needs of the present >> without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own >> needs. >> >> >> >>> FROM: kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke >>> [mailto:[email protected]] ON BEHALF >>> OF >>> Rebecca Wanjiku >>> SENT: Friday, May 04, 2007 10:23 >>> TO: kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke >>> SUBJECT: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - >>> CCKInternetStudyReport >>> >>> >>> thanks Kai for the response, >>> we need many people responding to this issue, >>> >>> in my opinion, the government should find a way of using the WB money >>> through the private sector, so that the private sector does not see as >>> if >>> the government is competing and killing the profit margin, >>> >>> in this regard, the government could come up with some MOU with the >>> private sector so that some of the money invested is government's and >>> >> some >> >>> PS. >>> that way, part of the profits will be ploughed back (it will be >>> mandatory) >>> >>> i remember during the OFC workshop, Kai shared how IFC funded a private >>> secotor consortium to carry out some survey at USD 300k and a similar >>> survey carried out by govts was valued at USD 3m >>> >>> maybe this can help reduce costs and provide a way for govt and PS to >>> work together and deliver quality market services, develop the content >>> >> and >> >>> all.. >>> >>> its just an opinion, its not absolute, >>> >>> lets hear as many voices as possible, >>> it is at these forums/discussions that great ideas come up, >>> >>> regards >>> >>> _KAI WULFF <KAI.WULFF(a)KDN.CO.KE>_ wrote: >>> >>> Hello, >>> >>> we leave it to the ISPs to create the demand. We were hoping that with >>> our >>> rural initiatives, like connecting schools and showing them how to >>> educate >>> the parents (and make money with this) will increase the demand on a >>> natural >>> way. >>> >>> What we have seen wit some Rural BTS, it takes about 12 month until it >>> is >>> >>> break even ... >>> >>> The problem is when you create the demand and then some World Bank >>> money >>> starts to compete before you can recover the cost. It is my strong >>> believe >>> that wherever a device can be operated, there WILL be a market. The >>> private >>> sector needs the Government as a user there as well as the private >>> companies >>> and consumers. Only then will the prices drop! We still focus too much >>> on >>> >>> the INTERNET, what most people need for a start is LOCAL information >>> and >>> communication .. so I would say: 90% local IP traffic and 10% >>> international >>> .. >>> >>> Kai >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Joan Walumbe" >>> To: >>> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:26 >>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - >>> CCKInternetStudy Report >>> >>> >>> > Walu, >>> > >>> > I agree with you that affordablity is a factor especially for rural >>> > communities when it comes to access to the internet. But I think that >>> lack >>> > of awareness is an even bigger factor. It's fine for the urban folk >>> (who >>> > already recognise the benefits to the internet etc.) taking a short >>> break >>> > in >>> > shags to have the internet access when back home, but it there is no >>> > demand >>> > for the internet among the residents what is the point? >>> > >>> > So does KDN enter a market and then hope to create demand or is their >>> a >>> > market that demands the service or is it a little of both? >>> > >>> > I understand that Kai would not be venturing into the rural areas if >>> it >>> >>> > did >>> > not make any financial sense. Can anyone provide some info/statistics >>> on >>> > demand for internet access in rural areas? >>> > >>> > Joan Walumbe >>> > >>> > ----- Original Message ----- >>> > From: "John Walubengo" >>> > To: >>> > Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:01 AM >>> > Subject: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCK >>> > InternetStudy >>> > Report >>> > >>> > >>> > Day 5- Statistics on Affordability. >>> > >>> > I acknowledge an interesting thread filtering in on Trust >>> relationships >>> >>> > b/w >>> > IGOs/ISPs...feel free to continue contributing on that as well as on >>> > today's theme on affordability (multi-tasking >>> > encouraged by internet technologies ...) >>> > >>> > and just to pick up from Kai's projection of KDN fiber hitting >>> Bungoma >>> in >>> > early August 2007. This would be quite a welcome and timely >>> development, >>> > but at what cost to the consumer? To what extend will the (internet) >>> > services be affordable to the rural/average communities? >>> > >>> > Affordability is a subjective term gven that what is considered cheap >>> by >>> > the >>> > Bill Gates of this world is probably not so for the average Kenyan on >>> the >>> > street. In trying to get an objective measurement for affordability, >>> the >>> > Report pegged it on the national average incomes. In other words, if >>> the >>> > monthly average income in Kenya is around 100USD and if the average >>> > monthly >>> > cost for internet access is also around 100USD then obviously the >>> average >>> > Kenyan will not bother with accessing the Internet - it just becomes >>> way >>> > beyond their means or too expensive or not affordable. >>> > >>> > The report indicated that access through the more convenient Internet >>> > Dial-up/Desktop services costed over 200% the average incomes (too >>> > expensive), while the same access through mobile phones was costing >>> just >>> > 8% >>> > of the average incomes (quite affordable). What needs to be done in >>> > order >>> > to make Internet Services more afforable to Kenyans? >>> > >>> > 1 day deliberation on this one. >>> > >>> > walu. >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > 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/kai.wulff%40kdn.co.ke >>> > >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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/rebeccawanjiku%40yahoo.com > >>> Rebecca Wanjiku, >>> journalist, >>> p.o box 33515, >>> Nairobi.00600 >>> Kenya. >>> >>> Tel. 254 720 318 925 >>> >>> blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ >>> >>> >>> -------------------- >>> >>> >>> Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? >>> Check out [LINK: >>> >>> > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48245/*http:/autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html;_ylc=X > >> 3oDMTE1YW1jcXJ2BF9TAzk3MTA3MDc2BHNlYwNtYWlsdGFncwRzbGsDbmV3LWNhcnM-] >> >>> new cars at Yahoo! Autos. >>> -------------------- >>> _______________________________________________ >>> kictanet mailing list >>> [LINK: compose.php?to=kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke] kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >>> [LINK: http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet] >>> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> >>> Please unsubscribe or change your options at [LINK: >>> >>> >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org] >> > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org > >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/kai.wulff%40kdn.co.ke >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > 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/kai.wulff%40kdn.co.ke > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > 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/alice%40apc.org _______________________________________________ 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/feanywhere%40yahoo.co.uk ___________________________________________________________ New Yahoo! Mail is the ultimate force in competitive emailing. Find out more at the Yahoo! Mail Championships. Plus: play games and win prizes. http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=44106/*http://mail.yahoo.net/uk

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Day 7-9: The Impact of the Recommendations-CCK Internet Report
by John Walubengo 10 May '07

10 May '07

In trying to improve on the arising Internet Statistics, the Report set out specific recommendations for the Regulator(CCK) some of which are summarised by Category below. 1.Network Infrastructure (CCK Action Points) *Build National Fiber Infrastructure *Merge ISP & IGO Licenses(Create DCNO licenses) *Make SLA (Service Level Agreements) mandatory for Operators *Operate the National Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) on a PPP basis 2. Affordability (CCK Action Points) *Make Tariff Publishing Mandatory of (Internet) Operators *Require Flat-rate or Volume Based Pricing for Dialup & Mobile Internet Services *Increase competition for Fixed Line and Mobile Services 3. Dispersion (CCK Action Points) *Fund Annual 'Demand-Side' Internet Studies *Develop National Information Infrastructure *Review and implement Univesal Access Fund/Strategy Again, Operators, Consumers, Govt, Regulator, Academia and others Lets hear your views. To what extend do you think the above action points will improve on the status of Infrastructure, Affordability and Dispersion? More importantly, why do you think some of the Action Points will not fly (work)? And what specific changes would make them work? We have upto Friday 11th May on this conclusive phase. Lets think 'beyond' the box and plse don't hold back your ideas, the more unconventional the better ;-). walu.

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presidential aspirants' debate by Kictanet
by Rebecca Wanjiku 10 May '07

10 May '07

Mainstreaming Information Communication Technology (ICT) Agenda in 2007 national electioneering debate The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) wishes to invite you the ICT debate titled- Mainstreaming ICT agenda in 2007 national electioneering debate scheduled for May 16th 2007 at 2 pm, at the Norfolk hotel. KICTANet has invited political leaders- hon. Julia Ojiambo, hon. Joseph Nyaga, hon. William Ruto, hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, hon. Musalia Mudavadi, hon. Raila Odinga, hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Nazlin Umar, hon. Najib Balala and hon. Uhuru Kenyatta to share their vision of an ICT enabled Kenyan economy. As a member of KICTANet, your presence is important so that we can pose questions concerning private sector, civil society, media, academia, and government Because you are an expert in your area, the questions you have ever wanted to ask the leaders, you can ask them that day. KICTANet hopes that the debate will assist in advancing ICT issues and demonstrate why we need to start holding our leaders accountable. As we head to the general elections, KICTANet desires to lift ICT issues into the political agenda and demonstrate how the two issues can be meshed up to accelerate development in Kenya and bridge the digital divide. KICTANet is counting on you to make this a success. Yours faithfully, Eng. James Rege, KICTANet ____________________________________________________________________________________ Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather

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[Fwd: Re: RE : [AfrICANN-discuss] http://www.icann.org/fellowships/ - please distribute]
by alice 10 May '07

10 May '07

Apologies Walu and all for interrupting the discussion on the CCK internet study report. Herewith additional information on fellowships for Participation in ICANN meeting coming up in June in Puerto Rico. best alice -------------------------- Dear All, Applications can be sent until May 18, 2007. Cheers ar */Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com <mailto:[email protected]>>/* a écrit : ******************************************************************* Dear All, Please find below information about the trial fellowship programme at ICANN. Be advised that the African region has a very limited number of fellowships this time because prices are so high for airline tickets especially. Given that ICANN has rotating meetings, each region will get more participants from its region as meetings come to that region. Please read the information carefully and apply directly online. Good luck. ********************************************************************** ICANN Meeting Fellowships Trial *About this Trial* This is a trial of the ICANN fellowships programme. Documentation and policies are being rolled out in a test format for the San Juan ICANN meeting June 25-29, 2007. Following the San Juan meeting ICANN will evaluate the programme and make changes based on participant and community feedback. We are excited about the opportunity this program presents for both ICANN and the developing world and are looking forward its success. *Questions/Comments? *fellowships(a)icann.org <mailto:[email protected]> *Current Round* : ICANN San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 25-29 *Application Opens*: May 1 Online Application Form <http://survey.icann.org/cgi/fellowship> *Documentation * Terms and Conditions <http://www.icann.org/fellowships/terms-and-conditions.htm> Fellowships Committee <http://www.icann.org/fellowships/fellowship-committee.htm> *Overview * *What is ICANN? * **The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers. These include domain names (like .org or .museum, and country codes like .UK), as well as the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols. Computers use these identifiers to reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation. ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. The domain name system (DNS) and Internet Protocol (IP) addressing systems rely on global input and perspectives in order to ensure they continue to function in a stable and secure fashion. ICANN's fellowships program helps ensure that voices from all regions of the world have the opportunity to provide that input. *What is an ICANN fellowship and who are the fellowships for? * An ICANN fellowship is a one time grant of support to enable attendance at an ICANN organised meeting. They are awarded to enable individuals from stakeholder groups from around the world to attend ICANN meetings. The fellowship covers the cost of airfare, hotel and basic expenses. Recipients are expected to actively contribute to ICANN processes and be a part of the next generation of ICANN leadership. ICANN Government advisory committee representatives and ccNSO members from eligible countries will be prioritised but anyone (apart from participants in the ICANN At-Large advisory committee, which has its own programme) is welcome to apply. *How are the fellowships awarded? * Fellowships are awarded by a selection committee based on a mix of criteria including applicant experience and references, geographic proximity to meeting, receipt of past fellowships, etc. Due to financial limitations ICANN may not be able to provide fellowships for all applicants. In the case of a dispute or similar applications final decisions will be made by the fellowships committee <http://www.icann.org/fellowships/fellowship-committee.htm>. *Who may apply for and be awarded a fellowship? * * Applications are targeted to individuals from government, the ccTLD community, and non-profits not involved in or associated with the at-large advisory committee. * Preference will be given to citizens who are resident in a low, lower-middle, or upper-middle income economy according to the World Bank country groups classification <http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20421…>. * Successful applicants will have demonstrated: o Ability to utilize the experiences gained from the fellowship to become a part of the next generation of ICANN leadership o A role or interest in the Internet space o An interest in contributing to: + ICANN policy development processes. + The ICANN fellowship alumni network. + A leadership role in stimulating local interest in ICANN. + An ICANN supporting organization or advisory committee. *Overview of fellowship procedures * The fellowship agreement with ICANN includes several clauses that relate directly to travel and related expenses. Please note that all ICANN supported air travel will be by economy class and use the most direct and economical routing. See ICANN Fellowship Terms and Conditions <http://www.icann.org/fellowships/terms-and-conditions.htm>. Per diem costs are covered via a lump sum stipend of US$ 300.00 for the entire period of the fellowship. The stipend will be provided to each fellow upon his or her arrival at the meeting. During the fellowship fellows are responsible for their own personal health and safety. Fellows should consult travel and health advisories in advance of the fellowship. Following the completion of the fellowship, all fellows will be invited to join a network of ICANN fellowship alumni. This global network will provide instant connections with peers worldwide who share a common interest in ICANN related issues. Please note that consideration for future fellowships will depend on active contribution to ICANN policy development processes. Completion of post-fellowship reports and feedback forms is a critical part of gauging the level of contribution made by each fellow. *Frequently Asked Questions * *How will my travel be covered? ** * Travel will be covered by ICANN directly. * * *How will my hotel be covered? * Hotels will be booked and covered by ICANN directly. All additional hotel charges beyond the room are the responsibility of the fellow. *How will the stipend work? * **All fellows receive a flat stipend of 300 US Dollars. The stipends will be provided in the form of an AMEX check card or travellers checks depending on the location of the meeting. Stipends will be given to fellows at the fellow orientation session on day one of the ICANN meeting. * * *Do I need insurance? * ICANN will provide access to travel insurance for the fellowship. It is the fellow's responsibility to review the policy and process any resulting claims. *I would like to add personal or other business segments to my travel. What do I do? * This is not possible. _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net <mailto:[email protected]> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Découvrez une nouvelle façon d'obtenir des réponses à toutes vos questions ! Profitez des connaissances, des opinions et des expériences des internautes sur Yahoo! Questions/Réponses <http://fr.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42054/*http://fr.answers.yahoo.com>. -- Anne-Rachel Inne _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Day 7-9 -The Impact of The Recommendations-CCK Internet Rprt
by John Walubengo 10 May '07

10 May '07

In trying to improve on the arising Internet Statistics, the Report set out specific recommendations for the Regulator(CCK) some of which are summarised by Category below. 1.Network Infrastructure (CCK Action Points) *Build National Fiber Infrastructure *Merge ISP & IGO Licenses(Create DCNO licenses) *Make SLA (Service Level Agreements) mandatory for Operators *Operate the National Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) on a PPP basis 2. Affordability (CCK Action Points) *Make Tariff Publishing Mandatory of (Internet) Operators *Require Flat-rate or Volume Based Pricing for Dialup & Mobile Internet Services *Increase competition for Fixed Line and Mobile Services 3. Dispersion (CCK Action Points) *Fund Annual 'Demand-Side' Internet Studies *Develop National Information Infrastructure *Review and implement Univesal Access Fund/Strategy Again, Operators, Consumers, Govt, Regulator, Academia and others Lets hear your views. To what extend do you think the above action points will improve on the status of Infrastructure, Affordability and Dispersion? More importantly, why do you think some of the Action Points will not fly (work)? And what specific changes would make them work? We have upto Friday 11th May on this conclusive phase. Lets think 'beyond' the box and plse don't hold back your ideas, the more unconventional the better ;-). walu. ____________________________________________________________________________________ The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php

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Re: [kictanet] Flight KQ 507: Did the Media cross the line?
by Kagwe James 09 May '07

09 May '07

Just concerned and probably out of context as far as the discussions we've been having are concerned. Isn't there a technology, probably GPRS based that can be used to track aeroplanes all over the world? Just like the way car track traces cars using GPRS. Is it possible to have such to track and trace aeroplanes. The time it took to trace the KQ plane was quite worrying and given that aeroplanes traverse deserts, seas and forests, then a system like this would make a difference in the time that it takes to trace a plane and probably save peoples lives. Just a view, no politics please!!!!!!! -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+jkagwe=aforbes.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wainaina Mungai Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 8:19 PM To: Kagwe James Subject: [kictanet] Flight KQ 507: Did the Media cross the line? Was the media insensitive and offensive as they competed to air and publish reports of the flight KQ507 crash? Read about it on http://www.madeinkenya.org/forum_files/forum0507-2.php _______________________________________________ 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/jkagwe%40aforbes.co.ke

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Global Fellowships Program to enhance participation in ICANN's meeting in Puerto Rico
by alice 09 May '07

09 May '07

*Fellowship Program to Enhance Global Participation in ICANN **MARINA DEL REY, Calif.*: People from across the world will have more opportunities to attend ICANN's 29th Public Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico thanks to the trial global fellowships program <http://www.icann.org/fellowships/> launched today. "We want to foster increased participation from developing and least developed nations at our public meetings and this fellowship program will do just that," said Paul Levins, ICANN's Executive Officer and Vice President Corporate Affairs. Priority will be given to current residents of developing and least developed nations who are interested in participating in the ICANN government advisory committee, the country code names supporting organization, and the generic names supporting organization. The fellowship will assist in covering airfare, hotel and a stipend. Recipients will be expected to actively participate in and contribute to ICANN processes. As always, registration for ICANNs meetings is free for anyone wanting to attend. "The program will play a key role in meeting part of ICANN's operational plan which has been through extensive public discussions and consultations to create a program to encourage and find participation by interested parties in developing countries," Levins said. After the San Juan meeting, which takes place 2530 June, ICANN will get feedback on the program from participants and the public, and identify areas where there might be improvements. "As a global organization ICANN is working hard to reach out and work with people from every part of the world, and especially individuals and organizations from developing countries," Levins added. "Making sure we have participation from people who normally couldnt attend means ICANNs work in the administration of the Domain Name and Internet Protocol addressing systems is more accountable and transparent." _______________________________________________ ALAC mailing list ALAC(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/alac_atlarge-lists.icann.org www.alac.icann.org www.icannalac.org

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Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCKInternetStudyReport
by Wainaina Mungai 09 May '07

09 May '07

Kai said; > The problem is when you create the demand and then some World Bank money > starts to compete before you can recover the cost > .The private sector needs the Government as a user there as well as the > private companies and consumers. [Only then will the prices drop!] Pricing I would like to assume that competition from government is as good as competition from other market players. The beauty of competition is in the way it forces the private sector to put a smile on the face of every consumer ;-) so as to guarantee revenue. I am convinced that a significant drop in prices results only from fierce competition and some degree of regulation. TESPOK and others fought for years to introduce competition which resulted in the current lower prices of internet and telephony services. The recent intervention of CCK on the pricing of mobile services is a case that proves that price controls may become necessary to protect consumers. For internet services, we need many small scale providers whose products and pricing would be more market-driven and responsive to fluctuations in consumer needs. For instance, an internet user paying KShs. 6,000 per month for DSL per month is actually incurring 14 cents per minute for a 30-day month. This is a great deal for any 24 hour user who may even make money through such access to the internet. The same user would be said to incur 28 cents per minute if s/he were to use the link for an average 12 hours per day at the same monthly rate. There may be a catch here but there is a high probability that more businesses can survive on such low rates and pass such rates down to rural consumer. --- Wainaina Mungai http://www.madeinkenya.org SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. > > FROM: kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke > [mailto:[email protected]] ON BEHALF OF > Rebecca Wanjiku > SENT: Friday, May 04, 2007 10:23 > TO: kai.wulff(a)kdn.co.ke > SUBJECT: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - > CCKInternetStudyReport > > > thanks Kai for the response, > we need many people responding to this issue, > > in my opinion, the government should find a way of using the WB money > through the private sector, so that the private sector does not see as if > the government is competing and killing the profit margin, > > in this regard, the government could come up with some MOU with the > private sector so that some of the money invested is government's and some > PS. > that way, part of the profits will be ploughed back (it will be > mandatory) > > i remember during the OFC workshop, Kai shared how IFC funded a private > secotor consortium to carry out some survey at USD 300k and a similar > survey carried out by govts was valued at USD 3m > > maybe this can help reduce costs and provide a way for govt and PS to > work together and deliver quality market services, develop the content and > all.. > > its just an opinion, its not absolute, > > lets hear as many voices as possible, > it is at these forums/discussions that great ideas come up, > > regards > > _KAI WULFF <KAI.WULFF(a)KDN.CO.KE>_ wrote: > > Hello, > > we leave it to the ISPs to create the demand. We were hoping that with > our > rural initiatives, like connecting schools and showing them how to > educate > the parents (and make money with this) will increase the demand on a > natural > way. > > What we have seen wit some Rural BTS, it takes about 12 month until it is > > break even ... > > The problem is when you create the demand and then some World Bank money > starts to compete before you can recover the cost. It is my strong > believe > that wherever a device can be operated, there WILL be a market. The > private > sector needs the Government as a user there as well as the private > companies > and consumers. Only then will the prices drop! We still focus too much on > > the INTERNET, what most people need for a start is LOCAL information and > communication .. so I would say: 90% local IP traffic and 10% > international > .. > > Kai > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joan Walumbe" > To: > Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:26 > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - > CCKInternetStudy Report > > > > Walu, > > > > I agree with you that affordablity is a factor especially for rural > > communities when it comes to access to the internet. But I think that > lack > > of awareness is an even bigger factor. It's fine for the urban folk > (who > > already recognise the benefits to the internet etc.) taking a short > break > > in > > shags to have the internet access when back home, but it there is no > > demand > > for the internet among the residents what is the point? > > > > So does KDN enter a market and then hope to create demand or is their a > > market that demands the service or is it a little of both? > > > > I understand that Kai would not be venturing into the rural areas if it > > > did > > not make any financial sense. Can anyone provide some info/statistics > on > > demand for internet access in rural areas? > > > > Joan Walumbe > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "John Walubengo" > > To: > > Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:01 AM > > Subject: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCK > > InternetStudy > > Report > > > > > > Day 5- Statistics on Affordability. > > > > I acknowledge an interesting thread filtering in on Trust relationships > > > b/w > > IGOs/ISPs...feel free to continue contributing on that as well as on > > today's theme on affordability (multi-tasking > > encouraged by internet technologies ...) > > > > and just to pick up from Kai's projection of KDN fiber hitting Bungoma > in > > early August 2007. This would be quite a welcome and timely > development, > > but at what cost to the consumer? To what extend will the (internet) > > services be affordable to the rural/average communities? > > > > Affordability is a subjective term gven that what is considered cheap > by > > the > > Bill Gates of this world is probably not so for the average Kenyan on > the > > street. In trying to get an objective measurement for affordability, > the > > Report pegged it on the national average incomes. In other words, if > the > > monthly average income in Kenya is around 100USD and if the average > > monthly > > cost for internet access is also around 100USD then obviously the > average > > Kenyan will not bother with accessing the Internet - it just becomes > way > > beyond their means or too expensive or not affordable. > > > > The report indicated that access through the more convenient Internet > > Dial-up/Desktop services costed over 200% the average incomes (too > > expensive), while the same access through mobile phones was costing > just > > 8% > > of the average incomes (quite affordable). What needs to be done in > > order > > to make Internet Services more afforable to Kenyans? > > > > 1 day deliberation on this one. > > > > walu. > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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/kai.wulff%40kdn.co.ke > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/rebeccawanjiku%40yahoo.com > > > Rebecca Wanjiku, > journalist, > p.o box 33515, > Nairobi.00600 > Kenya. > > Tel. 254 720 318 925 > > blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ > > > -------------------- > > > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check out [LINK: > http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48245/*http:/autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html;_ylc=…] > new cars at Yahoo! Autos. > -------------------- > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > [LINK: compose.php?to=kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke] kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > [LINK: http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at [LINK: > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org

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A world laggard, the U.S. needs a real policy to bring affordable, high-speed Internet service to everyone
by Alex Gakuru 09 May '07

09 May '07

[Local consumers are not alone in this discourse.] [Mercury News] http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/vindu/2007/05/06/a-world-laggard-the-us-need… <snip> When it comes to reasonably priced, high-speed Internet service, the United States is an embarrassment. Despite years of promises from politicians and technology titans, the U.S. continues to lag far behind our global competitors. During the past year, the U.S. slipped from 12th to 15th place in broadband Internet penetration per capita, behind much of Western Europe, Korea, Japan and Canada, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Worse, much of U.S. "broadband" service is only a smidgen faster than a dialup modem. Japan leads the world in cutting-edge fiber connections, offering speeds of up to 100 Mbps to 7.9 million home subscribers in 2006. In the U.S., only a paltry 700,000 have fiber connections. ..... Both government and the telecommunications industry are to blame. The technology to deliver truly high-speed Internet access is there, especially for cable subscribers. Customers need to demand better service from providers. ..... What can you do about this shameful state of Internet access? First of all, speak up as a customer. If you're in the Bay Area, complain to Comcast and AT&T/SBC/Pacific Bell and ask them why they offer such slow Internet speeds. Demand better. A coalition of consumer groups has launched SavetheInternet.com, which is principally dedicated to net neutrality (the principle that no Web site should get favored access from an Internet service provider) but also crusades for affordable broadband. You can join their efforts to push for better broadband. Contact the FCC directly and tell them you're tired of seeing the U.S. lag the rest of the world and they need to start pushing the cable and DSL companies to upgrade service. Ask the president why we he has utterly failed to keep his 2004 promise to give every American access to high-speed Internet service. And finally, contact your congressional representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi campaigned last year on bringing affordable broadband to everyone within five years. Hold her to it! <snip>

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Flight KQ 507: Did the Media cross the line?
by Wainaina Mungai 09 May '07

09 May '07

Was the media insensitive and offensive as they competed to air and publish reports of the flight KQ507 crash? Read about it on http://www.madeinkenya.org/forum_files/forum0507-2.php

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