- KICTANet - KICTANet

Who put me in the wananchi mailing list
by Alex Gakuru 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

(Sent on 1 October 2007 10:00 am) I only recall requesting to be on kictanet list but I get two list subscriptions reminders: http://mail.wananchi.com/mailman/options/kictanet/ http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ Could it be the reason some of my posts take 5 days to get bounced? Could moderators Walu and Alice explain plse Alex ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase. http://farechase.yahoo.com/

2 1

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

01 Oct '07

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

3 2

South African Minister claims several consortiums interested in NEPAD international fibre project
by Eric Osiakwan 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

There were "several" consortiums that had shown interest in getting involved with the proposed information and communication technology broadband infrastructure for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, the minister of communications, said last week. Matsepe-Casaburri said the government was not delaying the process by insisting on an African majority shareholding for the under-sea cable. The minister did not identify the consortiums. Insiders say that the South African Government will probably end up financing the consortium if it goes ahead. (source: Myadsl) 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"

1 0

Ubuntu Platform Training
by Alex Gakuru 29 Sep '07

29 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

27 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

26 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

26 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

25 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

25 Sep '07

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

1 0

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

25 Sep '07

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

1 0