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Google: A new approach to China: an update
by alice 23 Mar '10

23 Mar '10

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-approach-to-china-update.html A new approach to China: an update 3/22/2010 12:03:00 PM On January 12, we announced on this blog that Google and more than twenty other U.S. companies had been the victims of a sophisticated cyber attack originating from China, and that during our investigation into these attacks we had uncovered evidence to suggest that the Gmail accounts of dozens of human rights activists connected with China were being routinely accessed by third parties, most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on their computers. We also made clear that these attacks and the surveillance they uncovered—combined with attempts over the last year to further limit free speech on the web in China including the persistent blocking of websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Docs and Blogger—had led us to conclude that we could no longer continue censoring our results on Google.cn. So earlier today we stopped censoring our search services—Google Search, Google News, and Google Images—on Google.cn. Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. Users in Hong Kong will continue to receive their existing uncensored, traditional Chinese service, also from Google.com.hk. Due to the increased load on our Hong Kong servers and the complicated nature of these changes, users may see some slowdown in service or find some products temporarily inaccessible as we switch everything over. Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard. We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement. We believe this new approach of providing uncensored search in simplified Chinese from Google.com.hk is a sensible solution to the challenges we've faced—it's entirely legal and will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China. We very much hope that the Chinese government respects our decision, though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services. We will therefore be carefully monitoring access issues, and have created this new web page, which we will update regularly each day, so that everyone can see which Google services are available in China. In terms of Google's wider business operations, we intend to continue R&D work in China and also to maintain a sales presence there, though the size of the sales team will obviously be partially dependent on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access Google.com.hk. Finally, we would like to make clear that all these decisions have been driven and implemented by our executives in the United States, and that none of our employees in China can, or should, be held responsible for them. Despite all the uncertainty and difficulties they have faced since we made our announcement in January, they have continued to focus on serving our Chinese users and customers. We are immensely proud of them. Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

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Kenyan takes on Silicon Valley]
by alice 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

Kenyan takes on Silicon Valley By MACHARIA GAITHO Posted Sunday, March 21 2010 at 21:21 I am a tree hugger at heart, is the response one gets on asking Ory Okolloh about Ushahidi.com's commercial prospects. She does see commercial potential for the new media sensation that has probably given her more coverage in the mainstream global media in recent months than the combined space given to President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, Safaricom boss Michael Joseph and Inter Milan footballer McDonald Mariga. Yet, if the global buzz Ushahidi is generating is any guide, we could be looking at a Kenyan Google, Microsoft or Facebook in terms of business potential. Ushahidi is a non-profit venture kept afloat by grants from various foundations, but Ms Okolloh is confident that in a few years, it will be able to sustain itself. It was built without venture capital, and even the technology developed to run it was deliberately kept open source, ruling out patents and proprietorship. And though she does have two young mouths to feed, she is reluctant to even talk about the prospect of super profits. Big business is starting to express interest in Ushahidi, but she remains cautious of commercial tie-ups that may cramp her style. That's the tree hugger in her. Her business card bears no title. It identifies her workplace as Ushahidi crowdsourcing and crisis information. Against her name is just an e-mail address. Across the world, however, she is earning recognition as co-founder and principal force behind Ushahidi, an online blogger-generated mapping tool that came into its own with the Haiti and Chile earthquakes and US blizzards. "Africa's Gift to Silicon Valley: How to Track a Crisis" was the title of a major feature on Ms Okolloh and Ushahidi in a New York Times article published less than a week before the Pan African Media Conference opened in Nairobi. "Ushahidi technology saves lives in Haiti and Chile", trumpeted the Newsweek interactive site on March 3. The publicity Ushahidi has generated has also served to put Kenya on the global digital map. And, ironically, if the site is Kenya's gift to Silicon Valley and the world, it is also a gift from Kenya's murderous round of post-election violence. Ms Okolloh, who is based in South Africa, had come home to vote and report on the polls when the violence broke out. Desperate for information and seeking ways to help, she sent out a plaintive cry on her blog: "Any techies out there willing to do a mash up of where the violence and destruction is using Google Maps?" The response was instantaneous. Within days, volunteer programmers had written a software code that allowed anyone to send in information via SMS, blog posts, video, phone calls and photographs. The information and its exact source was uploaded onto a map, providing a picture of serious hotspots based on the density of data coming from each location. The Kenyan poll violence was a test-run, and come the Haiti quake, Ushahidi became a global sensation. It was the first time such simple technology had been used on this scale and Ushahidi became the default data base for the Red Cross, US army and international relief effort. Then came Chile, the blizzards that paralysed much of the US, violence in Palestine and India, trouble in Afghanistan the list keeps growing. "Think about that", asked The New York Times on the blizzards. "The capital of the sole superpower is deluged with snow, and to whom does its local newspaper turn to help dig it out? Kenya." When I first met Ms Okolloh at the annual Highway Africa conference in South Africa a few years ago, she was part of the crowd of young bloggers with a social conscience trying to get a foot in the door. How does it feel now that she sits at the high table? "It feels good," she says with a laugh, "It's been a long journey." The lesson she learned is that if you stick around long enough and never tire, people will start to pay attention. Ushahidi's success is great vindication of her faith that technology would explode in Africa as, in the early days, many sneered at bloggers who imagined creating something worthwhile and sustainable. Internet penetration in Africa was nothing to write home about. Now, thanks partly to the mobile phone revolution, old wisdom has been turned upside down. Market researchers are noting the demographic shift, and it is obvious that anyone wanting to reach the under-25s, half the population, must look to new media. Moderating a roundtable discussion on new media at the Pan African Media Conference, Ms Okolloh wondered why talk of the concept in Africa too often focuses on the social and economic benefits paying bills or sending money through M-Pesa; farmers accessing information on weather and fertilisers through SMS. She thinks the so-called "development" benefit of new media is a by-product; the primary function being fun and ease of communication. But hasn't Ushahidi itself been a major catalyst for good? Yes, she concurs, but that was dependant on the "fun" technology being available in the first place. She points to the mobile phone revolution on the continent. If mobile phones were sold as "development" rather than affordable and convenient means of communication, she ventures, they might not have taken off so fast. She also refers to the push towards digital villages in Africa. Quite often, policy makers and implementers report failure because the customers they expected farmers seeking information on credit or farm inputs or mothers seeking help for a sick child were not forthcoming. Instead users might be youth "wasting time" on Facebook or downloading music. That, to her should be the measure of success. A nice and simple lesson, that, for Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo. Ms Ory Okolloh graduated from Harvard Law School in 2005 and is now a co-founder and executive director of http://Ushahidi.com. <http://Ushahidi.com.> Her self-penned online profile in Global Voices describes a social activist blogger, aka Kenyan Pundit, with a wide range of interests. Source: Daily Nation, Kenya The internet is the real unifier of the globe. Your country, sex, religion doesn't have to matter. Its what you are not where you are that will define the next crop of influential peoples of the world Submitted by popq Posted March 22, 2010 09:25 AM __,_._,___

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ICANN wraps up in Nairobi with no security hitches
by alice 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

ICANN wraps up in Nairobi with no security hitches By Rebecca Wanjiku <http://www.computerworld.co.ke/users/rebecca-wanjiku> 12 Mar, 2010 For the ICANN local organizing committee, today is a great day, it is the last day of the meeting, which by any standards can be considered a success considering the security video produced by ICANN just before the meeting. >From December last year, the LOC was involved more in answering security questions, whether the ruling coalition will break and whether the Al Shabab terrorist group will get away from the lucrative piracy along the gulf of Aden to attack KICC. No one denied that there were security concerns but thats a common denominator for many countries, rich or poor. In retrospect, I think the whole security debate benefitted Kenya and to some extent the continent. ICANN meetings have geographical rotation and am sure issues of security will come up the next time Africa is meant to host the meeting. For Kenya, the successful meeting is vital, given that the Internet Governance Forum will be held in the country next year. If the IGF raises the security issues, Kenya can point to ICANN and the security video, and the success that was achieved. To ICANN, the remote participation was good, the online participation matrix was shared before the meeting started and the parallel meetings in the US now look a bit ill advised. The 100mb bandwidth at the conference venue was very stable, I did not experience any hitches, even during the opening ceremony, where there were at least 100 laptops on; everyone at ICANN at least carries a laptop but not all were on at the time. For the ICANN participants who danced at the Carnivore till 4am, it just shows that they were enjoying the hospitality and the good things that the country has to offer. For those who took the Safaris, that is better than the caged animals out there. The meeting was optional for many people but for those in the new gTLD debate, it was important to have the two minutes on the mic in the public forum. Even members of the Government Advisory Committee took the mic, led by Bertrard De La Chapelle from France, who took the 2 minute Mic like 20 times, just to emphasize the importance of public sessions. For the ICM guys, the Independent Review Committee and those interested in matters of transparency in ICANN, the .xxx debate was important and their presence is vital, even in the face of security concerns. So, the meeting had lessons and successes for everyone; with more than 1000 people picking their conference bags, I think the meeting was a success and offers vital lessons to others holding meetings in Nairobi. Ends

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[Fwd: Signing of the ARPA zone]
by Michuki Mwangi 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

FYI -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Signing of the ARPA zone Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:13:46 -0800 From: Joe Abley <joe.abley(a)icann.org> To: Joe Abley <joe.abley(a)icann.org> Colleagues, This is a technical, operational announcement regarding changes to the ARPA top-level domain. Apologies in advance for duplicates received through different mailing lists. No specific action is requested of operators. This message is for your information only. The ARPA zone is about to be signed using DNSSEC. The technical parameters by which ARPA will be signed are as follows: KSK Algorithm and Size: 2048 bit RSA KSK Rollover: every 2-5 years, scheduled rollover to follow RFC 5011 KSK Signature Algorithm: SHA-256 Validity period for signatures made with KSK: 15 days; new signatures published every 10 days ZSK Algorithm and Size: 1024 bit RSA ZSK Rollover: every 3 months ZSK Signature Algorithm: SHA-256 Authenticated proof of non-existence: NSEC Validity period for signatures made with ZSK: 7 days; zone generated and re-signed twice per day The twelve root server operators [1] will begin to serve a signed ARPA zone instead of the (current) unsigned ARPA zone during a maintenance window which will open at 2010-03-15 0001 UTC and close at 2010-03-17 2359 UTC. Individual root server operators will carry out their maintenance at times within that window according to their own operational preference. The trust anchor for the ARPA zone will be published in the ITAR [2], and in the root zone in the form of a DS record once the root zone is signed. If you have any concerns or require further information, please let me know. Regards, Joe Abley Director DNS Operations, ICANN [1] <http://www.root-servers.org/> [2] <https://itar.iana.org/>

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contacts for Dr Shem Ochuodho in South Sudan
by Muriuki Mureithi 22 Mar '10

22 Mar '10

Hi Listers plse help me with contacts of Dr Ochuodho -email phone. do not have access to my address data base cheers MM@south sudan

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Used Computers
by Victor Maloi 20 Mar '10

20 Mar '10

Listers, I hope everybody read the Thursday Star article on e-waste. The article quoted a study conducted locally and found out that we import thousands of tons in e-waste from developed countries. Environmental agencies are concerned. For every one used computer that ends up being used, there are ten to be juncked or to be used for canibalizing. Do we really need this in the country? In my view we should support the Government's proposal to ban the imports. My brief research shows those supporting this effort are themselves in the used electronics industry. In all honest the benefits do not justify our continued use of other people's waste. PS Ndemo said we can lower the cost of new computers to equal that of the used computer. Why can we not pursue this? Victor.

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(no subject)
by alice＠apc.org 20 Mar '10

20 Mar '10

Dear Colleagues, The Internet Society has announced that it is seeking applications for the next round of the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program, part of its Next Generation Leaders (NGL) programme (www.isoc.org/leaders) The Fellowship program offers engineers from developing countries fellowships that fund the cost of attending an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting. As you know, the IETF is the Internet's premier standards-making body, responsible for the development of protocols used in IP-based networks. IETF participants represent an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers involved in the technical operation of the Internet and the continuing evolution of Internet architecture. Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application process. The Internet Society is currently accepting fellowship applications for the next two IETF meetings: * IETF 78, 25-30 July, Maastricht, Netherlands * IETF 79, 7-12 November, Beijing, China http://www.isoc.org/educpillar/fellowship/index.php Fellowship applications for both IETF meetings are due by 16 April 2010. Two other components of the NGL are accepting applications: ISOC IGF Ambassadors <http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/igfambassadors/> NGL eLearning programme <http://www.isoc.org/leaders/elearning.php> To learn more about the NGL, and each of the three components, please visit: www.isoc.org/leaders Please review each component separately, including the different criteria, to help you decide which component(s) are appropriate for your professional background and future goals. Please note that each component has a different application deadline. I encourage you to pass information about this programme to individuals involved in your network that have a keen interest in the Internet standardisation activities of the IETF and/or in Internet governance issues. The Internet [WINDOWS-1252?]Society’s Next Generation Leaders programme is sponsored by Nominet Trust The Internet Society Fellowships to the IETF are also sponsored by Afilias, Google, Microsoft, and Intel.. If you have questions, please do not hesiate to contact Connie Kendig <kendig(a)isoc.org Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kenya

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ICT Integration in Education Awards for Teachers
by Terry 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

Dear All; As part of the forthcoming Regional Elearning Conference on Education scheduled for 29th - 31st March at KIE, ICWE Africa in conjunction with Ministry of Education and VVOB are launching an award to recognize teachers who have excelled in using ICT in classrooms to enhance teaching and learning. We welcome nominations, hence if you know one kindly nominate. Please circulate this notice widely. To nominate see details attached and you can also visit <http://www.icwe.co.ke/elearn2010/nominations.html> http://www.icwe.co.ke/elearn2010/nominations.html for more information. You can also contact as below for more information. Terry Njoroge Accounts Manager ICWE Africa P.O. Box 746-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: terry(a)icwe.co.ke <http://www.icwe.co.ke/> www.icwe.co.ke Contacts: 020-234 3961 Cell: 0724 866771

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http://www.broadband.gov/plan/goals-action-items.html
by Eric M.K Osiakwan 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

GOALS & ACTION ITEMS HIGHLIGHTS Goal No. 1: At least 100 million U.S. homes should have affordable access to actual download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and actual upload speeds of at least 50 megabits per second. In order to be a world leader in access to broadband by 2020, the plan has recommendations to foster competition, drive demand for increased network performance and lower the cost of deploying infrastructure. These will help inform consumers about broadband performance, expand services and infrastructure, and reform access to rights-of-way to lower barriers to entry for firms. Goal No. 2: The United States should lead the world in mobile innovation, with the fastest and most extensive wireless networks of any nation. Without enough spectrum, the wonderful potential that wireless and mobile broadband promise will remain unrealized. The Plan recommends making 500 megahertz of spectrum available by 2020, including 300 megahertz within the next five years, for both licensed and unlicensed use. In addition, the Commission recommends initiatives to ensure greater transparency and access in allocating spectrum for various uses. Goal No. 3: Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose. Not only is our world increasingly accessible online, but Americans have more opportunity for civic engagement than ever. But for these exciting online tools to be useful, every American must: have access to a network; be able to afford that access; and have the opportunity to develop digital skills. The Plan proposes reprioritization of resources and strategic targeting of efforts in order to achieve the goal of a 90% broadband adoption rate by 2020. Goal No. 4: Every community should have affordable access to at least 1 gigabit per second broadband service to anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals, and government buildings. The plan makes recommendations to upgrade the E-rate and improve the Rural Health Care support programs. Reforming incentive structures, licensing, and data interoperability, ensure that public priorities take advantage of the benefits broadband networks offer. And once community anchors are connected to gigabit speeds, it will become less expensive and more practical to get the same speeds to homes. Goal No. 5: To ensure the safety of American communities, every first responder should have access to a nationwide, wireless, interoperable broadband public safety network. Often, first responders from different jurisdictions cannot communicate effectively with each other at the scene of an emergency. A nationwide broadband safety network should be robust enough to maintain performance in the aftermath of a disaster, and should allow every first responder to communicate with each other and share real-time data over high-speed connections. Goal No. 6: To ensure that America leads in the clean energy economy, every American should be able to use broadband to track and manage their real-time energy consumption. The United States must lead by encouraging renewable power, grid storage, and vehicle electrification. Real-time data can also inform automated thermostats and appliances, allowing consumers to save energy and money while reducing the need for expensive new power plants. Consumers should be able to access real-time usage information from smart meters and historical billing information over the Internet. Eric M.K Osiakwan Director Internet Research www.internetresearch.com.gh emko(a)internetresearch.com.gh 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Tel: +233.21.258800 ext 7031 Fax: +233.21.258811 Cell: +233.24.4386792

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FW: [DIRSI] DIRSI - Invitation to Seminar
by Edith Adera 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

FYI ________________________________ From: newsletter-bounces(a)dirsi.net [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of DIRSI Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 8:15 PM To: newsletter(a)dirsi.net Subject: [DIRSI] DIRSI - Invitation to Seminar Click here if you cannot see this message correctly<http://dirsi.net/en/node/605> | - click here to unsubscribe from DIRSI news<mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe&body=Please%20unsubscribe%20me%20from%20DIRSI%20news> [cid:[email protected]] 18 March 2010 Agenda Introduction: State of the art in telecom regulation around the world Measuring ICT development and its socio-economic impact, regulatory enablers Redefining universal services: New Technologies, opportunities and challenges for access New models for spectrum usage: re-farming, commons and open access Implications of technological convergence for antitrust policies in ICT Speakers * Dr. Rohan Samarajiva Lirneasia * Mr. Sebastian Cabello GSM Association * Dr. Martha Garcia-Murillo Syracuse University * Dr. Raul Katz Columbia University <http://lacnic.net/en/anuncios/2009_ConvocatoriaTrayectoria.html> Training Seminar - New Technologies and their Challenges for Telecommunications Regulation in Latin America [cid:[email protected]] It is our pleasure to greet you on behalf of the Regional Dialogue on the Information Society - DIRSI- and inform you of the upcoming Training Seminar on New Technologies and their Challenges for Telecommunications Regulation in Latin America (Brasília, 13 May 2010). The seminar will offer an overview of key regulatory issues for the ICT industry and contribute to the development of the tools necessary for understanding the implications of new technologies for regulatory policies. It is designed for young researchers, regulatory agency staff, civil society organizations, journalists and mid-level managers. The seminar will precede the conference of the American Communication Research Network (ACORN/REDECOM), which will be held in Brasília on 14 and 15 May 2010. More information about the seminar<http://dirsi.net/en/node/605> is available on the DIRSI website. Those interested in applying for a grant to defray travel costs should send a letter of introduction with personal information, a Curriculum Vitae, and a brief explanation of how they will apply knowledge gained from the seminar in their work. This material should be submitted to <concurso2010(a)dirsi.net<mailto:[email protected]>> no later than 31 March 2010. Sincerely, DIRSI Steering Commitee ________________________________ If you do not want to receive further information from DIRSI, send an e-mail to nonews(a)dirsi.net<mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe&body=Please%20unsubscribe%20me%20from%20DIRSI%20news> with the subject "unsuscribe". ________________________________ dirsi.net<http://dirsi.net/> | info(a)dirsi.net<mailto:[email protected]>

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Fwd: Congrats, "Malili Technopolis Concept Paper" is hot on Twitter this hour
by Brian Longwe 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

V Interesting! Mblayo Sent from my "HaiPhone" Begin forwarded message: > From: donotreply(a)slidesharemailer.com > Date: March 19, 2010 9:58:02 AM GMT+03:00 > To: blongwe(a)gmail.com <blongwe(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Congrats, "Malili Technopolis Concept Paper" is hot on > Twitter this hour > > > "Malili Technopolis Concept Paper" is being tweeted more than any > other document on SlideShare right now. So we've put it on the > homepage of SlideShare.net (in the "Hot on Twitter" section). > > Well done, you! > > - SlideShare Team

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Fwd: [Skunkworks] Implications of the Draft Constitution for ICT
by Grace Bomu 19 Mar '10

19 Mar '10

Hi all, I recall the ke-internet users list discussing the same some time back. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Murungi <michaelmurungi(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:25:48 +0300 Subject: [Skunkworks] Implications of the Draft Constitution for ICT To: Skunkworks forum <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Dear Colleagues Read about what the draft new constitution portends for our ICT industry on this article on my blog: http://michaelmurungi.blogspot.com/ . -- Michael M. Murungi - ICT Legal Expert http://michaelmurungi.blogspot.com -- Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu) +254721898732 +254736091242 Kenya

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Question regarding Mozambique ICT Policy
by warigia bowman 18 Mar '10

18 Mar '10

Dear Listers I know that Mozambique passed its ICT Policy implementation strategy in 2002. But did they pass a draft ICT Policy as well? If so, does anyone know where I can find an online copy? Thanks, Rigia -- Dr. Warigia Bowman Assistant Professor The Department of Public Policy Leadership The University of Mississippi 107 Odom Hall University, MS 38677 URL: http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/leadership/index.html PHONE: 662-915-1904 EMAIL: mwbowman(a)olemiss.edu

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IDLELO 4 conference registration
by Judy Okite 18 Mar '10

18 Mar '10

Dear All, Apologies for cross posting..... if you are planning to attend the IDLELO 4 Conference meeting that will be held in Ghana, from 17-21st May 2010. Kindly register online for logistical purposes. http://idlelo.net/ *About IDLELO Conference:* * * *IDLELO** is one event for FOSS practitioners, developers and advocates as well as governments to showcase results, share experiences and challenges, review progress on the continent in diverse domains and chart a way forward for an African future grounded in true ownership of technology.** * * * *IDLELO** is therefore a premier international forum for the presentation of research results in Free and Open Source Software(FOSS) in Africa.* * * *The **IDLELO** Conference offers a real opportunity to discuss new issues, tackle complex problems and find advanced enabling solutions able to shape new trends in FOSS and related technologies on the African continent.* Kind Regards, -- “To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.” Kofi Annan

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3 main barriers to Broadband Adoption: affordability, digital literacy, and relevance - Could this be the Kenyan case, what can we learn from this..?
by Harry Delano 17 Mar '10

17 Mar '10

I guess, from such valuable and rich case studies, we can adopt and build up a National Broadband Model of our own.. Harry FCC: Cost a major barrier to broadband adoption By Marguerite Reardon February 23, 2010 11:19 a.m. EST Affordability is one of the main reasons why nearly one-third of Americans do not have broadband at home, a recent Federal Communications Commission survey found. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski plans to discuss the findings during a speech at the Brookings Institute on Tuesday. About 93 million Americans do not have broadband Internet access at home. In an effort to get these Americans connected to the Net, Congress has called on the FCC to develop a national broadband plan that will detail a strategy for getting them connected to affordable, high-speed broadband. The FCC will deliver its plan to Congress on March 17. In order to understand what is keeping many Americans from subscribing to broadband, the FCC conducted a consumer survey of over 5,000 American adults in late 2009. The survey identified three main barriers to adoption: affordability, digital literacy, and relevance. About 36 percent of the 28 million adults who said they don't subscribe to broadband at home said that the monthly fee for broadband was is too expensive, they can't afford a computer, or the installation fee is too high. About 22 percent, or 17 million adults, indicated that they do not subscribe to broadband at home because they lack the digital skills or are afraid of the potential hazards of being online. And 19 percent, or 15 million people, said they don't have broadband Internet at home because they simply don't see a need for it. The FCC's task force developing the broadband plan suspected a few months ago before results of the survey had been completed that cost and lack of digital skills were crucial factors in broadband adoption. The recent findings bolster those earlier assumptions. The cost of broadband service is likely to be a major barrier for low-income families. And it is likely to explain why a disproportionate number of people in lower income families have access to broadband at home. According to the survey, 40 percent of people who live in households where income is $20,000 per year or less have broadband at home, while 91 percent of people living in households where the income is more than $75,000 per year have broadband at home. Chairman Genachowski said that getting these individuals connected to the Net is crucial to the future of the country. "We need to tackle the challenge of connecting 93 million Americans to our broadband future," he said in a statement. "In the 21st century, a digital divide is an opportunity divide. To bolster American competitiveness abroad and create the jobs of the future here at home, we need to make sure that all Americans have the skills and means to fully participate in the digital economy." But getting people connected won't be easy even once the barriers have been identified. In terms of cost, it's not clear how low prices would have to go to spur significant adoption. On average, Americans pay about $40 a month for broadband service. In some areas of the country, the cost is higher and in some places it is lower. Price also varies depending on the speed of the connection and whether that connection is bundled with other services. The FCC said many people who cited price as a barrier were reluctant to answer follow-up questions about how much they were willing to pay for service. Of the people who did answer, the survey found that responses varied from $10 to $20 to $25 a month for service. But when experts analyzed the data about how many people would actually likely sign up for service if prices were dropped to $10 or $20 a month, adoption rates only picked up slightly. If prices dropped to $20, experts said that would likely only change adoption by 6 percentage points. And a $10 price tag would only change it by about 8 percentage points. What this means is that cutting prices alone will probably not have a major effect on broadband adoption. But lowering prices on service, coupled with adding programs that teach people the digital skills they need to access the Net while also educating them on how the Internet can enhance their lives, could have a substantial effect.

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nancy bosire requests anonymous contacts sharing
by nancy bosire 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Hi KICTAnet, Just a reminder, I'd like to add you to my email network on Boxbe. Here's the link: https://www.boxbe.com/register?tc=1971527089_856964628 Thanks, nancy Please do not reply directly to this email. This message was sent at the request of bozaya(a)gmail.com. Boxbe will not use your email address for any other purpose. Click the link below if you would prefer not to receive any further invitations from Boxbe members: https://www.boxbe.com/[email protected]&tc=19… Boxbe integrates with Yahoo!, Gmail, Google Apps, and AOL. Get Boxbe today! Boxbe, Inc. | 2390 Chestnut Street #201 | San Francisco, CA 94123

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South Africans choose dot ZA ahead of dot com, market survey reveals
by michael Ouma 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Hi all: i think this is interesting. How about our own “.ke,” how do we fare as relates to being patriotic and proud of our ‘own’? Please read below: South Africans choose dot ZA ahead of dot com, market survey reveals (also follow via this link http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/11791.html) The recently completed “dot ZA market survey” of the dot ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) shows that South African businesses and people prefer to use co.za to dot com. This is the result of an intensive market survey which began in November 2009 and involved thousands of online and telephone interviews with .za domain name holders (registrants), business people and non-profit entities. It was concluded in late February this year. ZADNA intended to use the survey to better understand the dot ZA market and in particular to ascertain what improvements were needed to make dot ZA more attractive and so better serve the interests of South African organisations. According to Vika Mpisane, the GM of ZADNA, “the research results are very important as they provide answers to most of the questions we and our stakeholders had about improving the .za space. These answers clarify what interventions ZADNA or its stakeholders need to make to improve ZADNA.” What was very noticeable from the results is that 83% of South African businesses choose to use co.za for their online presence. This effectively means only around 15% of local businesses confirmed having dot Com website names. When asked if they considered having both co.za and dot Com names was necessary, 58% of businesses interviewed answered “yes”. “This must be put into a correct perspective: the perceived need for registering your product and brand names across multiple domains results from the ever-increasing instances of trademark abuse online. To counter the potential for such abuse, a growing number of local and international businesses now register in as many domains as possible.” The survey also shows that dot Com still ranks better than the rest of other dot ZA domains, such as org.za and gov.za. This is understandable because the rest of dot ZA domains are more focused on a smaller communities and sectors. Providing an example, Mpisane said: “The growth of gov.za will always be limited as government and its organisations cannot be expected to grow as radically as business organisations, plus some government entities, such as parastatals and municipalities, register their website names in co.za and dot Com, instead of gov.za.” What the survey results also show is that most South Africans are patriotic and loyal to South Africa when they choose their online presence. Fifty percent of the interviewees chose this as the main factor influencing their choice, while affordability of dot ZA domain names came second. Pitting co.za against dot Com, 83% of the interviewees chose co.za ahead of dot Com as giving them superiority locally. Co.za also outscored dot Com by a great margin when it comes to affordability of registration – 93% chose co.za here – and 75% percent felt that co.za gives their business most online credibility. Probably as expected, dot Com outscored co.za when it comes to global appeal. Most Internet service providers (ISPs) and registrants felt that the process of registering dot ZA domain names should be made easier by automation. “The need for more automation can never be over-emphasised, and ZADNA will answer this through the licensing of dot ZA domain registries (i.e. operators of domain name databases) and registrars (i.e. ISPs registering domain names), and the introduction of a central registry that can standardise such automation across most .za domains.” The survey also tested South Africans’ awareness of the new generic (i.e. non-country specific) domain names that ICANN, the entity managing the global Internet domain name and IP numbering systems, is planning to introduce in due course. Most South Africans are not aware of such plans, but ISPs showed substantial awareness (at 44%), as expected because they are the entities that sell domain name registration services. Interviewees were asked about introduction of new 2nd level domains such as city or region-specific domains. When tested on this, respondents felt that city-specific domains were not as attractive as they could because of the potential for changing city and region names in South Africa. There was also very little enthusiasm shown for registering names directly under dot ZA (i.e. yourname.za instead of yourname.org.za) and for introducing biz.za to compete with co.za. “The feeling is that allowing registrations of names directly under dot ZA will lead to a potential for abuse of trademarks and brands. It will lead to an unnecessary cost as a result of putting measures in place to try and protect known brands, something which sometimes may be quite a challenge to do”, says Mpisane. What the results showed was that mobi.za, fam.za (for families) and shop.za (for retailers) were seen as potentially the most attractive additional options. Music.za also showed support by some. In the light of attempts by some Western Internet companies to apply to ICANN to open up new top level domains using local city names, such as dot Joburg, dot Durban and dot Zulu, the respondents overwhelmingly felt that South Africa did not need to have multiple identities online. “ZADNA is aware of frantic attempts by non-South African Internet companies to abuse local city, heritage and tribal names as new top level domains. This survey shows that not only are such attempts unfounded, but they go right against the feeling of South Africans. South Africans are happy with dot ZA as their online identity. Any attempts by non-South Africans to give us multiple online identities, without support of the South African population, are baseless and driven by greed and ambition for profit”, says Mpisane. /// The recently completed “dot ZA market survey” of the dot ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) shows that South African businesses and people prefer to use co.za to dot com. This is the result of an intensive market survey which began in November 2009 and involved thousands of online and telephone interviews with .za domain name holders (registrants), business people and non-profit entities. It was concluded in late February this year. ZADNA intended to use the survey to better understand the dot ZA market and in particular to ascertain what improvements were needed to make dot ZA more attractive and so better serve the interests of South African organisations. According to Vika Mpisane, the GM of ZADNA, “the research results are very important as they provide answers to most of the questions we and our stakeholders had about improving the .za space. These answers clarify what interventions ZADNA or its stakeholders need to make to improve ZADNA.” What was very noticeable from the results is that 83% of South African businesses choose to use co.za for their online presence. This effectively means only around 15% of local businesses confirmed having dot Com website names. When asked if they considered having both co.za and dot Com names was necessary, 58% of businesses interviewed answered “yes”. “This must be put into a correct perspective: the perceived need for registering your product and brand names across multiple domains results from the ever-increasing instances of trademark abuse online. To counter the potential for such abuse, a growing number of local and international businesses now register in as many domains as possible.” The survey also shows that dot Com still ranks better than the rest of other dot ZA domains, such as org.za and gov.za. This is understandable because the rest of dot ZA domains are more focused on a smaller communities and sectors. Providing an example, Mpisane said: “The growth of gov.za will always be limited as government and its organisations cannot be expected to grow as radically as business organisations, plus some government entities, such as parastatals and municipalities, register their website names in co.za and dot Com, instead of gov.za.” What the survey results also show is that most South Africans are patriotic and loyal to South Africa when they choose their online presence. Fifty percent of the interviewees chose this as the main factor influencing their choice, while affordability of dot ZA domain names came second. Pitting co.za against dot Com, 83% of the interviewees chose co.za ahead of dot Com as giving them superiority locally. Co.za also outscored dot Com by a great margin when it comes to affordability of registration – 93% chose co.za here – and 75% percent felt that co.za gives their business most online credibility. Probably as expected, dot Com outscored co.za when it comes to global appeal. Most Internet service providers (ISPs) and registrants felt that the process of registering dot ZA domain names should be made easier by automation. “The need for more automation can never be over-emphasised, and ZADNA will answer this through the licensing of dot ZA domain registries (i.e. operators of domain name databases) and registrars (i.e. ISPs registering domain names), and the introduction of a central registry that can standardise such automation across most .za domains.” The survey also tested South Africans’ awareness of the new generic (i.e. non-country specific) domain names that ICANN, the entity managing the global Internet domain name and IP numbering systems, is planning to introduce in due course. Most South Africans are not aware of such plans, but ISPs showed substantial awareness (at 44%), as expected because they are the entities that sell domain name registration services. Interviewees were asked about introduction of new 2nd level domains such as city or region-specific domains. When tested on this, respondents felt that city-specific domains were not as attractive as they could because of the potential for changing city and region names in South Africa. There was also very little enthusiasm shown for registering names directly under dot ZA (i.e. yourname.za instead of yourname.org.za) and for introducing biz.za to compete with co.za. “The feeling is that allowing registrations of names directly under dot ZA will lead to a potential for abuse of trademarks and brands. It will lead to an unnecessary cost as a result of putting measures in place to try and protect known brands, something which sometimes may be quite a challenge to do”, says Mpisane. What the results showed was that mobi.za, fam.za (for families) and shop.za (for retailers) were seen as potentially the most attractive additional options. Music.za also showed support by some. In the light of attempts by some Western Internet companies to apply to ICANN to open up new top level domains using local city names, such as dot Joburg, dot Durban and dot Zulu, the respondents overwhelmingly felt that South Africa did not need to have multiple identities online. “ZADNA is aware of frantic attempts by non-South African Internet companies to abuse local city, heritage and tribal names as new top level domains. This survey shows that not only are such attempts unfounded, but they go right against the feeling of South Africans. South Africans are happy with dot ZA as their online identity. Any attempts by non-South Africans to give us multiple online identities, without support of the South African population, are baseless and driven by greed and ambition for profit”, says Mpisane. /// Michael Ouma Journalist Kenya Tel:+254-725-537823 "Do not go where the path may lead, but go instead where there is no path and leave a trail," - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Nethope Chairman Blogging from Member conference at Safari Park
by Paul Kukubo 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Listers Here below please find a link to the Blog of Nethope's (nethope.org) Chairman Ed Granger-Harp. He was blogging from Safari Park Hotel where the Global Member Summit of Nethope is taking place. http://www.eghapp.blogspot.com/ Paul Kukubo Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya 12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 Fax: +254 20 2211962 website: www.ict.go.ke local content project: www.tandaa.co.ke, www.facebook.com/tandaakenya twitter:@tandaaKENYA BPO Project: www. doitinkenya.co.ke Digital Villages Project: www.pasha.co.ke personal contacts _______________ Cell: + 254 735 180001 skype: kukubopaul googletalk: pkukubo personal blog: www.paulkukubo.co.ke personal twitter: @pkukubo ____________________ Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment

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Africa¹s Gift to Silicon Valley - How to Track a Crisis
by Harry Hare 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Interesting read....kudos Ory, Erik and the rest of the gang...²America is now looking for solutions from Kenya,² interesting concept. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/weekinreview/14giridharadas.html Kindest Regards Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre eDevelopment House : : 604 Limuru Road Old Muthaiga : : P O Box 49475 00100 Nairobi : : Kenya T +254 20 3741646/7 : : C +254 725 650044 Training : : Research: :Consultancy: : Publishing

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FW: U.S. to roll out major broadband policy
by Pamela 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Hi Listers, Thought this was an interesting read....wasnt sure if we have touched on this bit of regulation here yet (CCK). Pamela By John Poirier and Sinead Carew John Poirier And Sinead Carew - Sun Mar 14, 8:34 pm ET http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100315/tc_nm/us_usa_broadband WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators will announce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize how Americans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increase in broadband speeds that could let people download a high-definition film in minutes instead of hours. Dramatically increasing Internet speeds to 25 times the current average is one of the myriad goals to be unveiled in the National Broadband Plan by the the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday. The highly anticipated plan will make a series of recommendations to Congress and is aimed at spurring the ever-changing communications industry to bring more and faster online services to Americans as they increasingly turn to the Internet to communicate, pay monthly bills, make travel plans and be entertained by movies and music. "This is a fairly unique event," said Paul Gallant, an analyst with Concept Capital. "The FCC really has never been asked to design a broad regulatory shift like this. Broadband is important and difficult because it threatens every established communications sector." Some details of the plan have trickled out in the last few weeks including how to find spectrum to meet an anticipated explosion of handset devices capable of playing movies and music in addition to handling emails and voice calls. But some carriers like AT&T Inc and Qwest Communications International Inc were irked last month when the agency's chief, Julius Genachowski, announced that the FCC would propose in the plan a goal of 100 Mbps speeds to be in place at 100 million American homes in 10 years. The current average is less than 4 Mbps. In a sign of tension between the FCC and carriers, Qwest called it "a dream" and AT&T reacted by saying the FCC should resist calls for "extreme forms of regulation." Since the FCC announcement, Cisco Systems Inc announced it would introduce a router that can handle Internet traffic up to 12 times faster than rival products. Google Inc has also gotten in on the hype, saying it plans to build a super-fast Internet network to show that it can be done. The FCC has praised both announcements. The plans could also touch off tensions with television broadcasters, who will be asked to give up spectrum to wireless carriers who desperately need it for their mobile devices, such as the iPhone and Blackberry. The FCC plans to let them share in the profits of auctions structured to redistribute the spectrum. "We've developed a plan that is a real win-win for everyone involved and we have every expectation that it will work," Genachowski said in an interview with Reuters. "We've certainly heard from a number of broadcasters who told us they think this is a promising direction and are getting ready to roll up their sleeves with us," he said. The FCC also wants to make sure that anchor institutions -- government buildings, schools, libraries and healthcare facilities -- get speeds of about 1 gigabit per second by 2020. The full broadband plan is expected to be released at a Tuesday meeting among the FCC's five members who are expected to discuss the results and recommendations of the roadmap, which was mandated by Congress. Congress may have to pass legislation to enact some portions of the plan. FCC officials have said some of the goals are aspirational and should be viewed as a "living, breathing" document for the next decade in hopes of helping 93 million Americans without broadband get connected. ACHIEVABLE "It is both aspiration and achievable," Genachowski said. The Obama administration has touted the plan as a way to create jobs and make energy use more efficient. "It will be a call to action," said Blair Levin, who heads the FCC's broadband task force which has collected data and comments from the industry, academics and the public as well as from three dozen public workshops. The FCC has placed most of its attention on broadband policy which Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, called "the signature issue" since Genachowski took over the helm in late June. "It means that broadband is going to drive other types of policy decisions and it really sets the parameters for telecommunications and new applications," West said. FCC officials have said that the plan will not take sides on technology or applications, but they want to lay the groundwork to spur innovation and job creation. Officials have said the plan will ask Congress to fund up to $16 billion to build an emergency public safety system. It would also tell lawmakers that a one-time injection of $9 billion could accelerate broadband reach to the 4 percent of Americans who do have access. Otherwise they could let the FCC carry out a 10-year plan to realign an $8 billion U.S. subsidy program for universal broadband access instead of universal phone access. Experts call the plan ambitious but question if the FCC, which plans to spin off a series of rule-making proposals linked to the plan, can realistically make good on its recommendations. "There's so little progress on this stuff in Washington," said Rob Atkinson, who heads the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. "I think Chairman Genachowski has a real opportunity to bring different warring interests under 50-75 percent of the plan." (Reporting by John Poirier and Sinead Carew, editing by Matthew Lewis) ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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New CCK Site
by Rad! 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

I was pleasantly surprised to note that the CCK appears to have revamped their site. It certainly looks a bit cleaner (although it has clearly not been tested for all browsers). However I am very disappointed to note that they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by failing to properly implement a credible complaints form. This one -> http://www.cck.go.ke/consumers/complaints.html requires a bit more work If just two improvements are made the usefulness would improve in leaps and bounds PROBLEM: A system to report complaints without offering a means to track the same is just an avenue to frustrate users. SOLUTION: The system needs to assign a ticket to me immediately after I complain and allow me to key that in to track the status of my complaint so that I can know whether or not my complaint is being addressed and how far it has reached. PROBLEM: Why should i be asked the email address, town, & phone of the service providers? Why would I be expected to know any of this? SOLUTION: Given that all the providers register through CCK, they already have a comprehensive database of all providers and offered services. These can be presented as a drop down list for selection I am willing to volunteer my time to help the CCK improve this.

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3G My foot
by robert yawe 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Hi, I had another horrible experience trying to work from home again this weekend after Safaricoms the 3G services was was unavailable in the South C and the edge service is literally the edge of the service I could not even refresh a yahoo mail page. Just out of curiosity was don't the mobile companies outsource their network optimization business to the level of having providers invest in the equipment in exchange for a share of revenue from the traffic that they pass through. As consumers we are charged based on utilisation so the mobile companies don't need to change their tariff structures to accommodate the booster and repeater providers. Hopefully after they have tested this model in the urban areas they can use the same model to better cover the rural areas. On the other front is the excessive advertising spend my Telkom on the issue of wired services, when are they likely to make this available outside the CBD as their are no copper cables in the residential areas or does Orange think that all our Nyumbas are in the CBD? Have a bandwidth available week 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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Eric Brewer wins ACM-Infosys Award for contributions to highly scalable Internet services
by Brian Longwe 16 Mar '10

16 Mar '10

Congrats to Eric! Sent from my "HaiPhone" > > Announcement: http://www.acm.org/news/featured/acm-infosys-09 > > Press Release: http://www.acm.org/press-room/news-releases/2010/infosys-award-09 > >

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CCK Web site
by robert yawe 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

If there is anyone out there from CCK please note that your web site is throwing error pages Regards http://www.cck.go.ke/system/modules/cck.go.ke.site/pages/radiotv_list.jsp?a… Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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the legacy of ICANN in Kenya - my take
by muriuki mureithi 14 Mar '10

14 Mar '10

Hi Listers After an attempt that aborted in 2008, ICANN came full throttle into Nairobi and after 6 action packed days it was time to park the bags and leave- they did and they are gone heading for Brussels! Will Nairobi be remembered or put it differently will Nairobi remember ICANN. What's the impact both ways? My take is that the impact was both ways - Nairobi provided a fertile ground for Board action and ICANN event affirmed the local ICT sector and raised high to a pedestal for the world to see. Nairobi was a watershed for gTLDs . Being held in a developing country, it provided a fertile groundswell for consideration that resulted in at least two resolutions. EOI was thrown out by the Board for good reason - the criteria would have worked against the developing countries and small entities. This however is a short term reprieve and should only be a breather. Nairobi also provided a fertile moral ground to persuade the Board to pass a resolution supporting the formation of a working group to develop a sustainable approach to providing support to applicants requiring assistance in applying for and operating new gTLDs. These provide a lifeline for developing countries to participate meaningfully in the new space to be unleashed by the new gTLDs. It is a challenge thrown to us. ICANN more than affirmed the maturity of the ICT sector , the challenge is to build on this . A large number of ICANNers did not come to Nairobi courtesy of the mishandled security issues. This was a blessing in disguise for the ICT sector. The scribes did their work, transcribing live from California, some board members, presenters , and other participants participated fully - no latency . ICANN confirmed beyond doubt that our ICT infrastructure is world class and beyond reproach. In the main conference hall, I estimated over 200 devices all online and most streaming and the wireless internet speeds were incredible, the cellular networks were incredible and according to one staffer of ICANN, bandwidth capacity and quality was no different from any developed world country!! He thought the best thing should have been to stream the Carnivore Gala live to those who didn't come. Our ICT system has come of age and fully confirmed by ICANN. If scribes can sit in California and do their thing , the converse is true, we can offer first class scribing to world. This is an item we should shout loudly when marketing the BPO sector . Secondly, ICANN did official business on audio and video conferencing , is there any reason where we should not aggressively use audio and video conferencing in government , private sector and even social engagements? Finally, ICANN provided a stepping stone and great credentials to bring IGF to kenya next year . Media was caught unawares and never could catch up with the biggest event on internet that ever landed in Kenya . coverage of the opening day was a whimper and subsequent coverage tacked away in obscure pages. Cheers Muriuki Mureithi

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