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The anti-competitive forces that foil speedy, affordable broadband
by Nanjira Sambuli 31 Mar '19

31 Mar '19

Interesting politics of broadband stateside... https://www.fastcompany.com/90319916/the-anti-competitive-forces-that-foil-… Sent from Flipboard Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move.

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Apply for a Mozilla Fellowship
by Alice Munyua 30 Mar '19

30 Mar '19

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/03/12/apply-for-a-mozilla-fellowship/

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[Good news for MSMEs & indigenous innovators] MPs seek to regulate Mobile Money & limit the scope of Telecommunication licenses
by Patrick A. M. Maina 30 Mar '19

30 Mar '19

[Link at bottom] This will be fantastic - if they succeed! Here's a quick recap of how the Telecommunications / Fintech Apps sub-sector is exploiting consumers and stifling local innovation. 1. Predatory practices: The mobile money sector has reached a point where lack of adequate regulation is leading to retrogressive practices that add hidden costs / friction to the economy - including: a. Price-gouging via ridiculous pricing methodologies: Mobile "money" is just text data moving from A-B. There is no credible justification for pricing to be based on the transaction value or amount sent / received / withdrawn - other than, imo, ruthless exploitation of consumer ignorance! The ethics of any company that earns super-profits in a poor third world country and still continues to do this are worth debating. At scale, I would wager that each P2P or bill payment message costs a telecoms provider less than Ksh. 0.01 per transaction. There needs to be an independent public-interest driven audit of the cost v/s pricing methodology given the essential and imperative nature of the service and the lack of viable alternatives due to lock-in effects. Very clear anti-trust issues at play, imo. b. Usurious loans, predating on the financially insecure with exorbitant fees; c. Aggressive CRB listing (thousands of young Kenyans punitively listed, some reportedly for as little as 200/-, which results in a tarnished record that denies youth access to other opportunities - for half a decade!); d. Promoting poor financial habits by encouraging people to borrow for consumption and/or to borrow "from Peter to pay Paul"; e. Aggressive collection methods - including blatant violations of privacy and shaming tactics - in violation of the Constitution; 2. Macro-economic stability risks: As payments go digital/cashless, unchecked dominance by one entity has resulted in a single point of failure scenario in the economy where the country's retail and service sectors are increasingly at the mercy of one private corporation that does not appear capable of guaranteeing 100% uptime year-round (and is not keen to guarantee just compensation for traders / customers for loss of business during down-times or service delays). 3. Unfair use of market power to crowd out MSMEs and young indigenous innovators: CA's broad-scope licenses have created a scenario where large IT corporations with mega budgets and market monopoly are "competing" with (more accurately, pulverizing) innovative indigenous MSME startups. It is sad to see a company that makes billions in profits apparently even engaging in vegetable business (among others) to deny mama mboga a livelihood. 4. Money laundering risks (Unregulated Loan Apps): Some foreign-funded apps could be a possible channel for international money laundering. The in-bound capital might not follow regulated channels. 5. Hot money risks: Foreign payday loan apps are using hot money models (short term capital allocation) to extract wealth from the country in the form of usurious interest without creating real sustainable value. This can have adverse effects e.g. on monetary policy. 6. Data sovereignty risks: Concentration of sensitive national economic data in the hands of a single private corporation (with foreign ownership). A mobile money monopoly is a bulls-eye target that attracts global hackers and saboteurs due to high payoff potential. 7. Big tech is no longer innovating: It is important for Government to note that, contrary to their PR claims, Big Tech players are no longer innovating - they just copy what is there and then leverage capital, network effects and media monopoly to scale even the most mediocre of ideas, distorting market forces and denying consumers the power to choose the best ideas. In healthy economies, governments solve this by create enabling environments for a new wave of innovations to emerge - via disruptive, independent startups. 8. Big tech are no longer creating new jobs (they are destroying jobs): HR-wise, big tech are already operating at maximum efficiency with single-digit ratios (e.g. 5%) of manpower costs to revenue. At macro-level, they are not creating more new jobs in the economy than they are destroying e.g. this hidden cost is indirect e.g. when their aggressive practices demotivate innovators and/or deny startups a chance to gain traction and grow which would attract investors. 9. Big tech anti-trust practices are delaying the next wave of innovations: In order to promote innovations in ICT (and other sectors), create jobs, and give a chance for the next "big wave of African innovation" to emerge, it is important for Government to step in and restrict Telecomms to their core business: Voice, Data and SMS. Otherwise we will only be showcasing the same old financial inclusion innovations, long after the rest of world has moved on. It looks like parliament is very much on the right track, and the proposed measures - if successful, will go a long way towards creating an enabling environment for indigenous startups and innovators. Kudos to Parliament for putting public interest at the forefront! =============== Article Excerpts ================ 1. "If MPs have their way, the telecommunications regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), will be compelled to ensure that mobile money services like Safaricom’s M-Pesa, Airtel Money and Telkom’s T-Kash are licensed as banks." 2. "The telecommunication firms will then be licensed to only offer voice, data and SMS services." https://www.nation.co.ke/news/MPs-seek-CBK-regulation/1056-5047788-2wdi1l/i… Best Regards, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Fwd: [Internet Policy] Singapore to table (aka present in British English) fake news bill Monday
by Barrack Otieno 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Listers, Might be of interest. Regards ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ang Peng Hwa (Prof) <TPHANG(a)ntu.edu.sg> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 17:27 Subject: [Internet Policy] Singapore to table (aka present in British English) fake news bill Monday To: ISOC Internet Policy <internetpolicy(a)elists.isoc.org> Hi. The Prime Minister of Singapore a couple of hours ago announced that the government will present the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill on Monday. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/fake-news-laws-be-tabled-monday-hold-… According to the news report, the bill “will give the Government the power to compel online news sources and platforms to show corrections or display warnings about online falsehoods, and — in extreme and urgent cases — take down an errant article.” There was a Select (aka special and public) Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods https://www.parliament.gov.sg/sconlinefalsehoods that had recommended in September 2018 that the Government take action. Although most of the testimonies were public, there were closed door sessions too and reports about these seem to suggest there were disinformation campaigns targeted at Singapore. Facebook came under withering questioning at the Select Committee hearing. (A two-hour video on Facebook (where else) is at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155207544022115.) A couple of observations: 1. Several of us had pointed out that in Singapore, the group that spreads fake news is the elderly, parents and grandparents. And our kind of fake news is laughable by Russian standards—eg plastic rice is sold in the supermarket. And parents and grandparents pass on the hoax out of concern. The Bill does not capture this group. It is apparently not aimed at private but public communication. 2. The power to determine facticity apparently lies with the Government. 3. The sanctions come across as pretty mild—corrections or warnings. And taking down only in extreme and urgent cases. 4. The Bill will not cover the case of the videos of the NZ shooting where Google staffers were manually blocking and deleting the videoclips as they were being uploaded. They were from the live streaming and so were not false even if they were in poor taste. Regards, Peng Hwa ANG [image: id:image001.png@01D31147.941BB3B0]*ANG* Peng Hwa (Professor) | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information | Nanyang Technological University *|* WKWSCI #02-05, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718 | Tel: (65) 67906109 GMT+8h | Fax: (65) 6792-7526 | Editor, Asian Journal of Communication | Web: http://research.ntu.edu.sg/expertise/academicprofile/Pages/StaffProfile.asp… Past President ICA | ICA 69th Annual Conference Washington DC, May 2019 ------------------------------ CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents. Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you. _______________________________________________ To manage your Internet Society subscriptions or unsubscribe, log into the Member Portal at https://admin.internetsociety.org/622619/User/Login and go to the Interests tab within your profile.

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Modernizing Tertiary Education - some ideas
by Patrick A. M. Maina 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Greetings Listers, The world is changing very rapidly and things that the older generations took for granted no longer apply. There are no jobs waiting for students when they graduate - that era ended decades ago (I believe in the 70s and early 80s). Yet, for some reason, academia appears to be stuck in time, doing things that no longer make sense. Here are some thoughts / ideas on what can be done to reform and rescue our tertiary education sector. (PhD holders might be interested in debating point No. 6. - is it too harsh or the right approach in principle? HR Policy practitioners might be interested in point No. 5..): 1. There is need for Government to strategically position TVETs and Universities as direct implementers of Vision 2030 and Big 4 objectives. Example - academia role should include creating sustainable jobs directly, and taking measures to guarantee high employment of graduates; instead of mechanically preparing our young people for jobs that may, or may not exist, then leaving them trapped in debt. 2. Expand CUE mandate to cover TVETs (as Commission for Tertiary Education); and then Implement a Universal Credit Accumulation and Transfer System - that creates multiple pathways *of equal status* towards higher qualifications (i.e. including transferable credits for TVET education and/or credits for demonstrable on-the-job / startup experience). This calls for a national skills mapping database that is derived from, and/or supports strategic national objectives (as outlined in vision 2030 & Big 4 master-plans). Accelerate regional accreditation to leverage intra-Africa synergies in view of AfCFTA. 3. Require *all* form 4 / grade x leavers to first attend TVETs for at least 2 years to gain hands-on technical skills for real world self-sufficiency, before they (i.e. those who wish to do so) attend university. Rationale: We need to keep our eye on the goal. The goal of education, imo,is not to create "paper churning, hands-off, intellectual elites" who lack real-world-relevant skills, but to create a competent, grounded, hands-on, innovative and future-proofed workforce that is capable of applying knowledge by making or doing things that help solve, in tangible and measurable ways, very specific challenges faced by our country (primarily) or to help solve global problems in a way that primarily and tangibly benefits our country (enhancing our global brand / jobs creation / high-value exports / attracting high quality FDI etc). 4. De-eliticize university education by creating high-value technical specialist pathways via TVETs (for high paying jobs and societal status / recognition). This would temper the belief held by the general public that a university degree is the only path to success and social mobility / status. 5. Employers to emphasize and primarily rely on real-world achievements for competence signalling - rather than relying on academic papers. For example, job advertisements should stop asking for academic qualifications. This is a pointless, tick-box requirement that only creates a market for "River Road degrees". For regulated roles, like medicine or engineering, having a valid practicing license should be a sufficient indicator of academic achievement as the license (hopefully) cannot be issued without verification of the required academic background. We now have the indigenous capacity to implement competency-based hiring painlessly with technology (e.g. via ongoing programs of supervised, automated technical screening assessments to create a national pool of vetted job candidates - which incidentally would eliminate a lot of wastefully redundant HR activities - at macro level). Hopefully tenderpreneurs / MNC lobbyists will not hijack and subvert this idea. Shindwe! :-) Incidentally implementing the above suggestion will reduce incentives for cheating or cram & dump learning. 6. Using policy and regulation to strictly limit career pathways for PhD holders such that they primarily engage in research and academia. Government and corporations should stop hiring PhD holders for full-time administrative roles, for example. It is wasteful, short-sighted and counterproductive (considering the massive resources expended to educate people to that level, as well as the need to productively leverage the intellectual potential of earned PhD holders as a super-scarce resource in Africa). PhD holders should be primarily dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge for the benefit of our country - and they should be rewarded very well for it and accorded top societal honors / as well as status (so they are not tempted to seek jobs that do not develop / challenge their intellectual abilities / potential). The only exception would be for very specific, short term, high-impact, research-reliant-projects or initiatives with very precise and highly specialized objectives, where exceptionally high levels of real expertise is needed. The PhD designation should have (3-5) designation levels that signify real-world achievement at post-doctorate level. PhD holders, other than retirees, who wish to permanently engage in non-research work (or work that can be done by Masters / Bachelors degree holders) should be required to permanently relinquish their PhD qualification and lose the "Dr." designation. There needs to be a distinctive high-status designation for non-academic honorary doctorates e.g. "Exceptional Life Achiever Degree" with the title "Lx." in recognition of non-academic transformational achievements with high societal impact. 7. Academic institutions should form corporations to engage in intellectual property businesses for profit (e.g. IP licensing / manufacturing & distribution) to raise research funds. This requires a pragmatic expansion of institutional mandate as well as strengthening and contextualizing the indigenous IP framework. 8. Pedagogy should be driven by a projects-based learning paradigm with deep integration of learning and real-world work. Removing artificial (and retrogressive) boundaries or demarcations between industry and academia: a. Why should learners first graduate before they can start working? This is a mindset problem. Does it make sense to have schoolwork and employment / MSME startups kept separate (yet they are complementary and interdependent)? b. Why allow someone without real-world paid work (not industrial attachment, but a real job or real MSME startup experience) to graduate? c. Why can't students learn and gain academic credits on the job (doing real, paid work for someone or in their own startups)? d. Why ask our children to choose the projects they want to work on without setting a strategic real-world context that is mapped to real world goals (e.g. Big 4) and real career prospects. Projects-based learning can solve this - with emphasis on projects that can create sustainable wealth for the country (sold to regional governments or the consumer public). We need to train a generation of self-starters who can survive by creating their own opportunities - irrespective of the economy or jobs market. Students should incorporate real startups (with seed funding from Government) during 2nd year - to make and sell products that solve real-world problems in our country / region - and then earn transferable academic credits for demonstrable experience. Employers like Government, MSMEs and corporations can embed academia into the workplace by adopting an apprenticeship approach in partnership with Universities and TVETs to hire 2nd year students and assign them to projects that enable them to earn "on-job learning credits". By the time they graduate, at least 99% ought to be gainfully employed (or running real businesses). This is how you tackle poverty and unemployment in a sustainable way. So what really prevents us from doing this - other than mindset? I know the above might read like heresy to traditionalists - but before you grab the pitchforks and light the torches, look around you... status quo is not working, that's the reality - and things will get worse as 4IR gradually kicks in - if we don't effect radical transformation. I'd be happy to have a round-table with the faculty of any tertiary institution that is interested in discussing / debating the above points. Have a great evening! Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Excel as a Bi Tool:Data Visualization (Dashboard Reporting) in Excel
by Tracy Nyatoro Weru 29 Mar '19

29 Mar '19

Greetings, We have the pleasure to inform you that Sunesis consulting in partnership with I - Lab Africa,Strathmore university is organizing a 3-day training course on Excel as a Business Intelligence Tool (DashboardReporting). The program will take place @iLabAfrica on *24th - 26th April 2019 *at 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This is a 3-day training that aims at providing business personnel with skills to transform data into decisions using a cost effective tool. The training course is open to all personnel in business related fields who want to leverage on the power of Excel as a Business Intelligence tool. We would be honored to have you participate in this training. If you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the event coordinator on getrude.gichuhi(a)strathmore.edu Or alternatively Kindly ensure to register here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1x-WVFxxCjYGSrXYT0XXQ0WUqnzE4W2wkoLw0ioCtWM…> to reserve your space. -- *Kind Regards,* Tracy Weru Program Coordinator @iLabAfrica Research Centre Email: tweru(a)strathmore.edu Direct Line: +254 (0) 703 034 621 Ext: 2621 Cell: +254 (0) 724239020 Enquiries: +254 (0) 703-034000/200/300 www.strathmore.edu <http://www.twitter.com/StrathU> <https://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreUniversity/?ref=hl> <https://www.youtube.com/user/StrathmoreUniversity> <https://plus.google.com/110890271788869052448/posts> <https://www.linkedin.com/edu/strathmore-university-357048> <https://www.instagram.com/strathmore.university/> <https://www.youtube.com/user/StrathmoreUniversity> -- *Note: *All emails sent from Strathmore University are subject to Strathmore’s Email Terms & Conditions. Please click here <http://www.strathmore.edu/en/email-policy> to read the policy. * * "Visit our Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreUniversity>Page and Twitter <https://twitter.com/StrathU>Account".

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Facebook and Google: This is What an Effective Ad Archive API Looks Like - The Mozilla Blog
by Alice Munyua 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

facebook & Google are preparing to release their ad archive APIs. Mozilla & a cohort of independent researchers are publishing five guidelines these APIs must meet in order to truly heighten transparency and curb disinformation. https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/03/27/facebook-and-google-this-is-what-a…

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Data Protection Forum & NIIMS - Friday 29th March
by Linda Bonyo 28 Mar '19

28 Mar '19

Dear Listers Join us this Friday 6 pm as we explore the privacy and data protection issues pertaining to the National integrated Identity Management System- NIIMS popularly known as huduma Namba. We look forward to an open, diverse and engaging discussion whose Speakers include George Kegoro (KHRC), Nanjira Sambuli (Web Foundation), Isaac E.N Okero (Former LSK President), Grace Bomu (Kictanet) , Nzilani Mweu (Tech Lawyer) Registration is absolutely free on eventbrite, limited tickets available. Event is powered by *Kenya Human Rights Commission *and hosted by the *Lawyers Hub*. Register here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/data-protection-in-the-era-of-kenyas-identity-… ______________________________________________ *Linda Bonyo* (Ms.) | Co-Founder, *Lawyers Hub * Tech for Justice ACK Garden House| Block D, 6th Floor | Email: bonyo(a)*lawyershub.ke* <bonyo(a)lawyershub.ke> | Skype*:* lawyershubke Tel: +254(0)207840228 Mobile : +254784840228 www.lawyershub.www.lawyershub.org | www.lawyershub.ke | Nairobi, Kenya. *_**__________________________________________________________* *DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Lawyers Hub.*

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[disaster preparedness] cheap wooden disposable cargo DRONES that can be built locally
by Patrick A. M. Maina 27 Mar '19

27 Mar '19

[link below] This is an idea worth copying and a great way to develop a culture of *simple*, *practical* cross-domain innovations. Our woodworking students can team up with electronics and computing students to build, test these simple contraptions. Example use cases include supplying emergency relief to places where aircraft cannot land. Suggested approach: MoED and MoICT to sponsor a nationwide TVETs v/s Universities competition to see which institution designs the best drone prototype models with optimal balance of performance [against pre-defined parameters] and costs. The top 5 can then be built to scale and tested using gov. planes / helicopters - and the teams involved recognized with national honors. The best can then be mass produced on order (Big 4 + Jobs!) and exported via G2G facilitated trading to other African countries e.g. Mozambique, Zimbabwe as part of regional DR planning. Moral: Innovation does not have to be complicated or expensive. It just needs to solve a real problem. So, can we build a wooden drone or not? Interested listers from Gov & academia willing to run with this? https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/drones/disposable-delivery-dro…

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Cyber Wing-Child Protection Unit
by Watoto Watch Network 26 Mar '19

26 Mar '19

Hello Listers, Great development for children in our online space in Kenya; Opening of the *Cyber Wing* at the Child Protection Unit (DCI). The wing will support investigators tackle Child Online crimes. The unit will be the first in Africa to be linked to Interpol's International Child Sexual Exploitation database. See more info; @DailyNation https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-gets-first-cyber-unit-to-fight-child-se… Great day. Regards, Lillian Kariuki. (Executive Director, Watoto Watch Network)

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Why Leapfrogging in Frontier Markets Isn't Working
by Gideon 26 Mar '19

26 Mar '19

+1 Ali, Not to oversimplify my point, but if only inbound tech/businesses would take good time to re-evaluate core business models and local enviroments before leaping in. I also think leapfrogging in itself may not be felt in some countries like KE where new technologies are adapted almost immediately albeit in ways that only benefit or fit into the local needs and enviroment. In some situations, a big leap works, in others bit stepwise scalling coupled with adaptating solutions to local problems, nuances and ways of living would be the best formula. Regards GR On Tue, Mar 26, 2019 at 8:59 AM <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > You can reach the person managing the list at > kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Why ?Leapfrogging? in Frontier Markets Isn?t Working > (Ali Hussein) > 2. Blockchain Taskforce Report (Ali Hussein) > 3. Cyber Wing-Child Protection Unit (Watoto Watch Network) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:58:06 +0300 > From: Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> > To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why ?Leapfrogging? in Frontier Markets Isn?t > Working > Message-ID: > < > CAPjmBy1oHTx8_8VQGEpmaroFFdeXxPafsHam-jnsJG7KA9dxFg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Alice > > Interesting article. Long read but worth it. My take is that the author > makes valid arguments. There are certain areas which I think he should have > paid attention to:- > > 1. Comparing Africa and the rest of the world as if Africa is one country > is a bit of a stretch. > 2. The #BigTech example (Uber specifically) is not complete without taking > into account that global companies fail in frontier markets not because > they don't have the muscle to succeed but because they fail to understand > and learn from local nuances. > 3. Platforms are under attack by regulators everywhere and this > conversation won't be complete if we don't pay attention to what regulation > will mean going forward in Africa. > 4. Scaling is not for everyone. To equate innovation to scaling doesn't in > my humble opinion tell the whole story. > 5. To tell the story of 'Leapfrogging' in Frontier Markets without talking > about Mpesa is in my humble opinion missing a big part of the story. I'm > hoping that the next part will probably cover this? > > Regards > > *Ali Hussein* > > *Principal* > > *AHK & Associates* > > > > Tel: +254 713 601113 > > Twitter: @AliHKassim > > Skype: abu-jomo > > LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim > <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> > > > 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, > > Chiromo Road, Westlands, > > Nairobi, Kenya. > > Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely > mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the > organizations that I work with. > > > On Sat, Mar 23, 2019 at 11:27 PM Alice Munyua via kictanet < > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: > > > Ali, > > Your thoughts? > > > > > > > > > https://www.cgdev.org/publication/why-leapfrogging-frontier-markets-isnt-wo… > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet > > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > bandwidth, > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > >

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Blockchain Taskforce Report
by Ali Hussein 25 Mar '19

25 Mar '19

Listers Has anyone perhaps have had a look at the above report? Shouldn't this report have been released by now? Almost 9 months later? Dr. Ndemo, as Chair of the Taskforce please give us an update? Regards *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *AHK & Associates* Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, Chiromo Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.

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Why “Leapfrogging” in Frontier Markets Isn’t Working
by Alice Munyua 25 Mar '19

25 Mar '19

Ali, Your thoughts? https://www.cgdev.org/publication/why-leapfrogging-frontier-markets-isnt-wo…

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South Sudan IGF and SIG is happening next week
by Nelson Kwaje 20 Mar '19

20 Mar '19

Dear listers, Yours truly with the help of Article 19 and UNESCO South Sudan office will be organizing the first South Sudan IGF and SS-SIG next week. The country has a long way to go and I am glad the Kenyan experience is helping us in making some small steps on the other side. See info on the links below. http://southsudanigf.net/first-south-sudan-internet-governance-forum-28th-m… http://southsudanigf.net/south-sudan-digital-rights-workshop-internet-acces… Regards Nelson Kwaje Team Lead, Tech and Innovation Unit WEB4ALL LTD www.web4all.co.ke Tel : +254711250795 Skype : nelson kwaje Twitter : @nelsonkwaje Building ICT Solutions That Matter "There are enough success rooms to accommodate all of us. No one needs to fail for another to succeed. Not all of us will succeed in the same manner or at the same time." Nelson Kwaje

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Google to prompt Android users to choose preferred browsers to allay EU concerns | Reuters
by Alice Munyua 20 Mar '19

20 Mar '19

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-android/google-to-prompt-andro…

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[Big tech is hacking minds for profit] addiction algorithms and subversive content are NOT human rights!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 18 Mar '19

18 Mar '19

Listers, Big-tech lobbyists have become so adept at hacking the human brain (social engineering) that they have convinced civil society activists and even some critical government institutions (e.g. constitutional courts) that their commercial interests are "human rights" and that their unregulated operations are a manifestation "free speech" and/or "democratic ideals". This is complete brainwash and very regrettable given that it unethically subverts, distorts and distracts society from rational discourse regarding critical issues like free speech, democracy and human rights. The consequence of Big tech's irresponsible profit-seeking continue to accumulate - globally: Question for Internet NGOs: Are you really protecting the internet, or are you protecting FANG business interests? Why are you not speaking up more about the negative impact of FANG-type business models on society and the internet? CNN: "People could easily become radicalized before social media. Many are still radicalized without it. But social media, often in combination with other factors, has proven itself an efficient radicalizer, in part because it allows for the easy formation of communities and in part because of its algorithms, used to convince people to stay just a little longer, watch one more video, click one more thing, generate a little more advertising revenue." https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/17/tech/youtube-facebook-twitter-radicaliza… Did Zimbabwe court get it wrong on the internet? Social media apps are not the internet. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001310324/court-says-inte… ==================== There are increasing concerns that screen-based learning could be risky for young children (especially below 14 years)... From blue screen eye damage issues, to ergonomics (spine / posture / small text), unintended stifling of creativity, and so on. Perhaps Kenya's laptop program would best benefit High school students from grade 10 (Form 1) and above? "Silicon Valley parents are raising their kids tech-free — and it should be a red flag." https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-parents-raising-their-kids-t… "In 2007, Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, implemented a cap on screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game. Later it became family policy not to allow kids to have their own phones until they turned 14." "Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple until his death in 2012, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he prohibited his kids from using the newly-released iPad. "We limit how much technology our kids use at home." "Tim "Apple" Cook, the current Apple CEO, said in January that he doesn't allow his nephew to join online social networks. The comment followed those of other tech luminaries, who have condemned social media as detrimental to society." The damage being caused to our children's brains, by uncontrolled exposure to algorithms is massive and at an unprecedented scale. This might turn out to be worse than what the Tobacco industry did before they got regulated. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001316924/kenyan-parents-… There needs to be a policy definition of what the internet is and especially what it is not - so that when dangerous platforms are shut down, the civil society does not get tricked to pursue ruthless corporate interests thinking that they are "defending internet freedoms", "free speech" or "democracy". Brgds,Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina [Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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TODAY’S DEADLINE: Public Consultation on National Broadband Strategy for Kenya
by Nanjira Sambuli 16 Mar '19

16 Mar '19

Good day, Are we to assume that concerns raised here regarding today’s deadline for submitting comments have gone unheard? Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move. > On 11 Mar 2019, at 19:18, info(a)elvisjonyo.co.ke wrote: > >> On 2019-03-11 13:51, Nanjira Sambuli via kictanet wrote: >> +1, Ali, >> Additionally, are there reflections on the successes and shortcomings >> for the 2013-17 period? >> For instance the goal on broadband speeds for rural vs urban areas, a >> very lofty goal therein? >> Regards, >> Nanjira. >> Sent on the move. >>> On 11 Mar 2019, at 07:29, Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> wrote: >>> Gimode >>> Greetings. Seeing that you posted this email on Friday, 8th March, I'm curious to understand how the committee can expect to get substantive responses within a week on such a critical piece of document? >>> I think it's time this country reviews what it means when the constitution talks about Public Participation. I know that there are members of the August House in this list. I challenge them to address this issue. I fear that government officials are taking us through a 'tick the box' exercise when it comes to public participation. >>> Ali Hussein >>> Principal >>> AHK & Associates >>> Tel: +254 713 601113 >>> Twitter: @AliHKassim >>> Skype: abu-jomo >>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim >>> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing, >>> Chiromo Road, Westlands, >>> Nairobi, Kenya. >>> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. >>>> On Fri, Mar 8, 2019 at 9:04 PM Gimode, Chiimbiru via kictanet <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: >>>> Dear Listers, >>>> You will recall the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MoICT) constituted an inter-agency Steering Committee to review of Kenya’s first National Broadband Strategy (NBS) for the period 2013-2017. The Committee draws membership from the MoICT, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS), National Communications Secretariat (NCS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA). >>>> The team is at the tail-end of the review of the NBS and is seeking views from the members of the public to enrich the NBS for the period 2018 – 2023 in line with Constitution of Kenya 2010. >>>> Attached is a public notice on the same. >>>> You can access the consultation paper on the Authority’s website on this link: https://ca.go.ke/consumers/public-consultations/open-consultations/ >>>> The deadline for submission of comments is 15th March 2019. >>>> Best Regards, >>>> Chiimbiru Gimode, CMRP, MPRSK. >>>> Communications Officer >>>> Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) >>>> Head Office: CA Centre,Waiyaki Way,Westlands, Nairobi I P.O Box 14448 Nairobi 00800. >>>> Regional Offices: Mombasa I Nyeri I Kisumu I Eldoret >>>> Office Line : 0703-042-524 I Website : www.ca.go.ke I Twitter : @CA_Kenya >>>> Facebook : Communications Authority of Kenya I YouTube : CA Kenya I Instagram: CA Kenya >>>> Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cck-kenya >>>> Core Values: >>>> Integrity | Innovation| Excellence >>>> “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today’’-Ernest Hemingway >>>> Please be responsible, consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >>>> DISCLAIMER:- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> kictanet mailing list >>>> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >>>> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com >>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet >> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40elvisjonyo.co.… >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder >> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT >> policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for >> reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled >> growth and development. >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and >> bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, >> respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or >> qualifications. > It is unreasonable and dishonorable to expect the public to peruse through a document and give comments in one week. You might as well promulgate it as is. > >

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[NBS Working group representation] SMEs & indigenous startups NOT involved!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 16 Mar '19

16 Mar '19

Dear Listers, The National Broadcast Strategy was drafted by over 70 participants representing 40 organizations. On closer scrutiny, the private sector (and non-profit) representation appears heavily skewed in favor of big-corp interests with over ~90% of participants representing large entities (or mid-size entities in partnership with, or historically associated with advancing the interests of, large entities). Here's the breakdown: * 10 Local companies (of which 60% are the largest, most visible Kenyan ICT corporations).* 9 Foreign companies or MNCs* 5 Non-profits* 2 Universities* 14 Government Agencies * 0 Indigenous ICT SME stakeholders (non-startups) * 0 Internet Startup Stakeholder(s)* 0 Indigenous tech innovators / inventors * 0 Indigenous tech policy representative(s)----- 40 organizations (~71 participants) ----- This elucidates why government policies tend to be *heavily and unfairly biased* towards large corporations, multinationals and NGOs to the detriment of SMEs and indigenous startup ecosystems (despite SMEs being the actual bedrock of Kenya's economy; the most innovative sector - albeit neglected and lacking opportunities for exposure; and the biggest jobs creators overall). Big corp's dominance at policy level is unfairly hogging government attention and thus preventing the development of a well coordinated tech-startup ecosystem based on a national ecosystem master-plan that would significantly and exponentially boost our economy within a very short period. This is one reason why our top graduates and innovative youth are jobless - relying on NGO handouts for survival (or having to grovel in the media to get PR-motivated "rescue offers" from companies that would otherwise have turned down their application for merit-based consideration). I think it is hypocritical, unethical and wrong for big corp to say it "cares" about the community when doing CSR - when behind the scenes it is busy hoarding all the meaningful opportunities, resources and government incentives that would be far more helpful to the same community in a sustainable way. Our President's call for promotion of SMEs, local Innovation, self-employment ("Tujiajiri") and millions of jobs for our youth might never materialize if things continue this way. The important role of SMEs and indigenous startups / innovations in supporting the Big 4 agenda needs to be emphasized and promoted. We need proportionate (and affirmative) policy representation at SME and Indigenous Startups / Innovations level. These representatives should be actual, experienced founders / innovators (who have been in the trenches and truly know where the shoe hurts) - not private "incubators" who will always be conflicted in favor of the hands that feed them (their MNCs / big-tech / big-corp partners). I humbly request government stakeholders on this list to kindly take note of the above problem and take action to remedy it please, in public interest. Opportunity should be equitably distributed in line with the spirit of our Constitution. Millions of jobs can be created (and we can avoid massive capital outflows) if this is done properly. Adopting the right policies is what made China take 700 Million people out of poverty in just 40 years. They have shown that it can be done. Let our policies be driven by similar goals, in line with Big 4 agenda: To take 40 Million Kenyans out of poverty and into a path of sustainable prosperity within 5-10 years. Have good evening.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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[NBS Working group representation] SMEs & indigenous startups NOT involved!
by Patrick A. M. Maina 16 Mar '19

16 Mar '19

Correction: NBS = National Broadband Strategy Dear Listers, The proposed National Broadband Strategy was drafted by over 70 participants representing 40 organizations. On closer scrutiny, the private sector (and non-profit) representation appears heavily skewed in favor of big-corp interests with over ~90% of participants representing large entities (or mid-size entities in partnership with, or historically associated with advancing the interests of, large entities). Here's the breakdown: * 10 Local companies (of which 60% are the largest, most visible Kenyan ICT corporations).* 9 Foreign companies or MNCs* 5 Non-profits* 2 Universities* 14 Government Agencies * 0 Indigenous ICT SME stakeholders (non-startups) * 0 Internet Startup Stakeholder(s)* 0 Indigenous tech innovators / inventors * 0 Indigenous tech policy representative(s)----- 40 organizations (~71 participants) ----- This elucidates why government policies tend to be *heavily and unfairly biased* towards large corporations, multinationals and NGOs to the detriment of SMEs and indigenous startup ecosystems (despite SMEs being the actual bedrock of Kenya's economy; the most innovative sector - albeit neglected and lacking opportunities for exposure; and the biggest jobs creators overall). Big corp's dominance at policy level is unfairly hogging government attention and thus preventing the development of a well coordinated tech-startup ecosystem based on a national ecosystem master-plan that would significantly and exponentially boost our economy within a very short period. This is one reason why our top graduates and innovative youth are jobless - relying on NGO handouts for survival (or having to grovel in the media to get PR-motivated "rescue offers" from companies that would otherwise have turned down their application for merit-based consideration). I think it is hypocritical, unethical and wrong for big corp to say it "cares" about the community when doing CSR - when behind the scenes it is busy hoarding all the meaningful opportunities, resources and government incentives that would be far more helpful to the same community in a sustainable way. Our President's call for promotion of SMEs, local Innovation, self-employment ("Tujiajiri") and millions of jobs for our youth might never materialize if things continue this way. The important role of SMEs and indigenous startups / innovations in supporting the Big 4 agenda needs to be emphasized and promoted. We need proportionate (and affirmative) policy representation at SME and Indigenous Startups / Innovations level. These representatives should be actual, experienced founders / innovators (who have been in the trenches and truly know where the shoe hurts) - not private "incubators" who will always be conflicted in favor of the hands that feed them (their MNCs / big-tech / big-corp partners). I humbly request government stakeholders on this list to kindly take note of the above problem and take action to remedy it please, in public interest. Opportunity should be equitably distributed in line with the spirit of our Constitution. Millions of jobs can be created (and we can avoid massive capital outflows) if this is done properly. Adopting the right policies is what made China take 700 Million people out of poverty in just 40 years. They have shown that it can be done. Let our policies be driven by similar goals, in line with Big 4 agenda: To take 40 Million Kenyans out of poverty and into a path of sustainable prosperity within 5-10 years. Have good evening.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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(Submission by KICTANET Indigenous Stakeholders) Public Consultation On The National Broadband Strategy For Kenya
by Patrick A. M. Maina 15 Mar '19

15 Mar '19

Dear Sir / Madam, Please find attached submissions for KICTANET Indigenous Stakeholders. Due to limited time provided, it was not possible to complete our review and feedback. Please consider offering a time extension, ideally of about 3 weeks, so that we can give more detailed and comprehensive inputs. Thank you and Best Regards, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations | KICTANET Indigenous stakeholder]

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Rethinking Affordable Access
by Nanjira Sambuli 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Worthwhile read. https://a4ai.org/rethinking-affordable-access/ Rethinking Affordable Access - Alliance for Affordable Internet This guest post was prepared by Steve Song and appeared first on his website Many Possibilities. Everyone needs affordable access to communication. Affordable access strategies that don’t target everyone end up magnifying the digital divide in a kind of Matthew effect: those with affordable phone/internet services have access to ever increasing education resources, opportunities, services, social safety nets (the list goes on) such that the unconnected fall further behind just by standing still. You may not agree completely with this statement but let’s assume for the purpose of this article that it is true. And if it is true, then we have a problem because access growth is slowing down. Growth is slowing whether you look at mobile subscribers or internet penetration. To date, a combination of public and private investments in telecommunications has managed to connect about half the world to the internet. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in particular are the runaway success story when it comes to providing affordable access in regions thought unreachable. So why, given the rapid growth of the last fifteen years, are things slowing down? The one-line answer is that we have connected the easy-to-connect half, the relatively wealthy living in relatively densely populated areas. Connecting poor people is sparsely populated rural areas is a much bigger challenge. In a recent Guardian article, Sonia Jorge of the Alliance for Affordable Internet Access (A4AI) suggests that universal internet access is as far away as 2050. That same article suggests that the reason growth is slowing is a combination of lack of skills and lack of investment. It is undeniable that lack of skills to take advantage of digital tools and services is a significant barrier to uptake. It is also true that those skills are connected to affordability. We discover value online by experiencing it and by experimenting to discover what is valuable to us. When access is expensive, the discovery of value in being online is overshadowed by concerns about the cost of being online. Lack of investment is also a complicated issue. The vast majority of MNOs are private companies that serve their shareholders. Even where MNOs are government-owned, there is often more interest in generating a profit than in providing universal, affordable access. It is unsurprising then that MNOs invest in areas where both population density and incomes levels are higher. Spectrum auctions that levy millions of dollars from MNOs in advance of network deployment only compound this trend as operators worry about an increased debt burden. Universal Service Funds (USFs) are the primary mechanism that has been established to try to ensure that poorer and more remote regions also have access. Operators are typically taxed a percentage of their turnover that goes into a fund run by a Universal Service Agency, whose purpose is to finance access into unserved regions. The history of USFs and the associated agencies that manage them is pretty mixed. These agencies are typically government bureaucracies that have little experience managing millions of dollars and are risk averse by the very nature of being bureaucracies. Worse, funds with millions of dollars often attracts the worst kind of kleptocratic behaviour. That said, USFs have made a difference. In the early days of mobile network growth, they created incentives for MNOs to invest in areas that were not economic priorities for them. This led to the growth of infrastructure into previously unserved regions. However, these subsidies have typically succeeded in regions where MNOs would have found themselves eventually, that is, areas that have populations dense enough to create profits for MNOs Where USFs have really run into problems is in trying to push MNOs into regions that are not economically viable for them. Stories abound, although seldom publicly, of USF funds that have completely subsidised the capital costs of cell tower build-outs for MNOs in remote areas but those cell towers are not operated by the MNOs because the towers don’t generate profits, or perhaps not sufficient profit. In one Southern African country, the USF agency has paid for the build-out of 103 base stations in rural areas; 77 of which are not operational. This is not particularly surprising. Often, the operational costs (e.g. maintenance, supply of diesel for back-up generators, etc.) can exceed the revenues generated by calls on the base stations in remote, sparsely populated regions where income levels are lower than in urban areas. For an MNO that is accountable to its shareholders, it only makes sense to turn those towers off. And that is where we find ourselves today. Access growth is slowing because the economics just don’t make sense. So what to do? A recently published report commissioned by the World Bank entitled “Innovative Business Models For Expanding Fiber-optic Networks And Closing The Access Gaps” attempts to answer that question. Their conclusions don’t exactly break any new ground for the World Bank, however. An extremely short (perhaps unfair) summary would be: Enable market forces; the private sector has been most successful at deploying networks. Try to get out of their way. Regulate only as a last resort where there is absolutely clear evidence that the market has failed. Government investment should be cautious and only implemented with a clear vision. The problem with the above recommendations is that this course of action got us to where we are now — but it doesn’t address the fundamental problem of access economics that the MNOs face. Nor does does the proposed strategy mitigate any of the downsides of MNO network deployments, which is often a lack of market competition. If new thinking is required, what might that look like? Here are some news ways of looking at the problem. We Don’t Live in a Single Economy The conventional analysis of the access challenge treats the economy as a single entity but the reality is that the economics of the rural poor is very different from comparatively wealthy big cities. French economic historian, Fernand Braudel, makes a distinction between global and local economies. Companies that operate in the global economy are easy to spot because the endgame for those companies is monopoly. Whether you are MTN or Amazon or McDonalds, the goal is to occupy the maximum possible amount of the market. These kinds of companies get most of our attention. Growing to this size is seen as a virtue. And indeed, there has been a lot of success in the growth of mobile access. Silicon Valley has a particular obsession with scale. Where else would growth hacking be an actual profession. While there has been some pushback to this, scale remains the brass ring for internet companies in particular. In contrast, local companies seek to serve an immediate market, one which they typically have much deeper knowledge of and are able to serve in a manner that a global company cannot. The economics of these local companies are different than those of global companies. Some things are more expensive, but many things are cheaper when it comes to serving a local market. Thus the local baker’s labour costs per loaf of bread are higher but they don’t incur any shipping costs and can tailor their production specifically to demand. Not to mention the fact that they can greet you every day and be a part of your life and your community. This is not news. Governments around the world have recognised the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and have policies developed to encourage their growth. The economic contribution of small business is substantial. In the United States, small businesses employ 47.5 percent of all private sector employees. In South Africa, SMEs contribute 34 percent towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide employment to about 60 percent of the labour force. But nowhere do we see a deliberate strategy to empower small and medium telecommunication/internet access providers. Again, this is not surprising. Historically, building a telecommunications company required millions of dollars of investment in international connectivity, national network infrastructure, last mile infrastructure, handsets, agent networks, marketing, the list goes on. It was a risky bet too. Choose the wrong underlying technology (e.g., WiMAX mobile ten years ago) and you could lose millions. All this has changed. Telecommunications networks are becoming disaggregated. Increasingly international, national, and metropolitan network infrastructures are available as wholesale services to any operators, lowering the bar to market entry for smaller operators who can focus on last-mile delivery. Also, communication technology in general has dramatically dropped (and continues to drop) in price. Not only has WiFi technology become extremely affordable but all kinds of communication technologies from point-to-point microwave to GSM to LTE base stations, even fibre optics now have prices that are within the reach of the community network and small-scale operator. “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” Alexander Den Heijer Tell me if this sounds familiar: You’re in a meeting about affordable internet access and someone mentions the importance of community networks and small-scale operators. Someone stands up, usually from a big operator, sometimes government, sometimes the regulator, or even the ITU and says, “Oh we recognise the value of community networks… but do they really scale?” The implied answer is “No, of course not.” But what if we could connect millions of people affordably through small businesses i.e. ISPs and community-owned networks without scaling? Not far from where I now live in rural Nova Scotia, is a small community of about 500 people called Lawrencetown. They got fed up with not having decent access to broadband and being ignored by the incumbent telcos and formed a cooperative to build a WiFi network that serves the community. They started out charging about USD45 per month for 20 Mbps service but reduced the price to USD30 per month because they found they were making too much money. They don’t need to be any bigger than they are. They were able to do this because: Access to backhaul is affordable and open; The administrative barriers to setting up an ISP are very low; and, WiFi access technology is very cheap. Their success has emboldened the community to explore the use of a cooperative to deliver both healthcare and energy. We now live in world that has conspired to make it possible for local entrepreneurs and/or community groups to solve their own access challenges. What is missing is the enabling policies and regulation to let a million of these little (and not so little) flowers bloom. Community-Owned Infrastructure In addition to creating an enabling environment for local access solutions, we need to break out of the Manichean world of private sector networks vs government networks. In particular, community ownership of telecommunications infrastructure needs to be elevated to the mainstream of affordable access debates. We need to dispel the picture that many people seem to have of community-owned networks: two tin cans and a piece of string. It is true that in the early days of wireless hacking with WiFi, tin cans actually featured but it was that kind of hacking that spurred the growth of WiFi as a credible backhaul technology. More to the point, as the status of telecommunications infrastructure is changing from luxury to essential utility, there are lessons we can learn from the growth of another essential utility that started out as a luxury: the electricity grid in the United States. In the early part of the 20th century, much of rural America had no access to electrical power. Rural farmers and ranchers banded together to form cooperatives to build their own power infrastructure. But they likely would not have succeeded had there not been enabling policies and programs put in place by the government. The following 3 minute video which tells the story of US electrical cooperatives is well worth watching. Today, those same cooperatives are rolling out fibre optic infrastructure to address lack of broadband service in those same regions. Cooperatives can take many forms. They can be tiny like the one in Lawrencetown. They can address access challenges in regions that aren’t viable for large operators such as Rhizomatica are doing in rural Oaxaca, Mexico, or Zenzeleni in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They can embody commons principles established by Elinor Ostrom as Guifi.net are doing in Catalunya, Spain. They can enable farmers to dig their own fibre trenches to deliver 1Gbps (symmetric) internet service in rural northern England as B4RN are doing. Cooperatives are a time-tested model for addressing collective resource challenges, especially but in no way limited to in rural areas. Why should we prioritise their growth? Here are a few reasons: Cooperatives lower consumer costs. Cooperatives are non-profits and reinvest surplus back into the network, either by lowering costs (as Lawrencetown did) or by expanding the network. This is particularly relevant in areas that may have enough demand to support one network operators but not two. Subsidising a commercial operator to build a network may solve the access challenge but does not address the affordability challenge. Cooperatives invest in local economies. In a remote community, calling someone a block away typically generates revenue for the incumbent operator headquartered in the capital. It siphons revenue away from remote, poor communities. Community-owned networks ensure that revenue spent on telecommunications is spent locally, creating more local economic circulation. Cooperatives build local skills. The technical skills to build and manage communication networks is within reach of anyone with the right learning environment. Cooperatives provide a space for local skills development in a 21st century career. Cooperatives can help to unwind inequitable social systems. We know that communication technology is an amplifier which can magnify positive outcomes like entrepreneurship and education but which can also reinforce existing social and economic inequities. Because cooperatives are not driven by a profit motive and because they are local, they can both understand and collectively choose to address challenges that face their communities in a meaningful way. Cooperatives build… community. Perhaps that sounds like a tautology but there is nothing like having a project in common to build community bonds/ties and the social fabric that holds us all together. This is a “yes, and” scenario This article should not be interpreted as an argument against big telcos. The success of large-scale, commercial telecommunications networks is undeniable. They have great advantages thanks to their economies of scale, however, the evidence is mounting that the large network model alone is not enough to connect everyone affordably. Small businesses are now are practical reality in the world of telecommunications and the internet, but are limited, not by technology, but by the lack of an enabling policy and regulatory environment. Similarly, community ownership of telecommunications infrastructure in the form of cooperatives and similar structures is a proven success model that cries out for policy, regulatory, and investment support. Locally-owned commercial and/or community connectivity initiatives will grow the market which will ultimately be good for big telcos too. The best news for regulators is that enabling local connectivity initiatives directly addresses one of the biggest concerns raised in the World Bank report: risk. Smaller initiatives can fail without causing systemic harm. They can innovate faster and be more responsive to local needs. Cooperatives are owned by their members. What better way to ensure skin-in-the-game, arguably one of the best ways to mitigate risk. It’s time to move the word “local” into the mainstream of telecommunications policy, regulation, and investment. For more updates on our work, follow us on Twitter at @A4A_Internet. Follow Steve at @stevesong. Regards, Nanjira. Sent on the move.

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Deciphering Trump's "Einstein Pilot" comment & why (most) state mandated backdoors are a bad idea
by Patrick A. M. Maina 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Listers, US president Donald Trump recently triggered a debate about the (often overlooked) negative aspects of placing high/total reliance on modern, increasingly complex (and increasingly opaque), technology for safety-critical applications like aircrafts. Some food for thought... (disclaimer: below is shared for information and/or debate only, with respect to cybersecurity policy discussions): 1. (*2018* article) "Boeing thinks that cyberattacks may be a real threat to flight safety and pilots should be trained to determine and withstand them." https://airlinerwatch.com/boeing-wants-to-train-pilots-against-cyberattacks/ 2. In 2012 researchers reportedly discovered what appeared to be a deliberately engineered (i.e. possibly state mandated) security backdoor in *military grade* chips used for critical functions in aircrafts (e.g. boeing 787) and sensitive military equipment (e.g. drones). The backdoor could be ecploited by sophisticated (state sponsored) attackers to potentially take over sensitive equipment (like a commercial plane). The good intentions behind such backdoors includes anti-hijacking. But the unintended consequence is severely increased vulnerability (ironically to a different form of hijacking) that cannot be hot-fixed. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/military-grade-chips-may-not-be-… 3. "Five eyes" nations (US, UK, CA, AU, NZ) see themselves as the global "good guys" with infinite wisdom, and who should be allowed (and trusted, without independent oversight or international accountability) to hack any tech device/software for "good" reasons. So they agressively push their tech manufacturers to engineer security backdoors into systems (chips & software). Again, the unintended consequence, which makes (most) state mandated backdoors a terrible idea, is that there is no way to fully secure such backdoors against exploitation by the "bad guys" (e.g. competing states or organized criminal networks). Sadly, it means that "five eyes" origin technology (hardware and/or software) should always be considered *insecure by design*. Yet this is the tech most of Africa relies on for literally *everything*. Actually any non-indigenous technology should be considered insecure by default (a key reason to develop strategic indigenous technology capacity). Could also partially explain why some foreign govs seem to have so much high quality (near real time) information on Africa across all critical spheres (industrial, financial, political, security etc). https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/03/five-eyes-governments-call-on-tech-giants… The floor is open for comments / debate. :-) Good day.Patrick. Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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AFROBYTES Nairobi - Invitation
by Linda Bonyo 14 Mar '19

14 Mar '19

Dear Listers This is to welcome you to Afrobytes Nairobi happening this Friday afternoon at the iHub. The French Development Agency's Innovation team will be present and is looking to meet people in the sector. Let me know if you need tickets as it is on an invite basis. The definitive program is now online with the speakers's profiles: http://www.afrobytes.com/afrobytes-event-series/afrobytes-nairobi/ *Afrobytes is the connection point between the African Tech Industry and other global tech ecosystems. <https://youtu.be/cO87x5VP68g>* Wonder what to expect at Afrobytes events? Just check out this video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkZxjG_iUPo> Join me on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammin-youssouf-4660621> Visit us: www.afrobytes.com, Follow us: twitter.com/socialafrobytes or Have a coffee with us: Station F <https://www.google.com/maps/place/STATION+F/@48.8348101,2.3620091,15z/data=…> // Bonus: *- One of Fast Company's Most Creative People 2018 > Rank 94-95 <https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2018> * *- In the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs List in 2018 by Entrepreneur.com > Rank 14 <https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/321571>* Regards, ______________________________________________ *Linda Bonyo* (Ms.) | Co-Founder, *Lawyers Hub * Tech for Justice ACK Garden House| Block D, 6th Floor | Email: bonyo(a)*lawyershub.ke* <bonyo(a)lawyershub.ke> | Skype*:* lawyershubke Tel: +254(0)207840228 Mobile : +2547840840228 www.lawyershub.africa | www.lawyershub.ke | Nairobi, Kenya. *_**__________________________________________________________* *DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Lawyers Hub.*

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[corrected version] [connecting the dots] The real reason why Africa struggles with eCommerce and Airlines
by Patrick A. M. Maina 13 Mar '19

13 Mar '19

Correction: KQ revenues in 2018 were ~50 Billion. Dear Listers, Whenever we have a spectacular failure in industry, we rush to attribute it to one or many of the five factors below: 1. Management competence (e.g. manifests through "culture" and/or lack of responsiveness to new/non-standard challenges; lack of awareness that competence is situational) 2. Failed Strategy (e.g. markets respond better to competitors or are already locked-in. Strategy can fail even where the management is highly competent.)3. Corruption / conflicts of interest (includes nepotism, procurement challenges e.g. unethical vendor practices or blatant theft) 4. External factors (e.g. global economic / geopolitical dynamics) 5. Force Majeure (sudden unforeseeable calamities - whether natural or man-made) I'd like to put forward one reason, unique to Africa, that is seldom raised or addressed, yet it in many cases could be the primary reason why many African businesses struggle to remain viable despite adopting business models that succeed in other countries: The biggest obstacle for most African businesses is the structural operating environment. Simply put, Africa doesn't scale. * Scale is the reason that KQ's economic doom was sealed in 1977 when East African Airways was dissolved. * Scale (not trust or delivery infrastructure) is the reason eCommerce simply can't and won't work in Africa (yet works in India) under the current circumstances. Certain types of businesses are simply not viable without scale. It doesn't matter what strategy, caliber of management or whatever else is used. Without scale, you have to swim upstream and perform miracles. No wonder we tell tourists that Kenya / Africa is "Magical". Only a magician can do certain businesses in Africa - under current circumstances. For example KQ earns ~Ksh. 50 Billion annually. Where does the money go? Do you know who really benefits from African Airlines failure to leverage scale? Here's my list: 1. International Vendors (Equipment / Systems / Fuel) 2. International Hedge funds (e.g. Price / Currency hedges) 3. International Insurance.4. Prioritized creditors (most likely international) 5. International Airports. The only country that doesn't get paid is Kenya. Due to lack of scale, we end up literally giving financial aid to rich countries. This is not a smart thing for a poor country to do. Scale benefits are (in part) what makes Delta Airlines, for example, operate with double digit margins, earn Ksh. 4.4 Trillion in a year (enough to run our country for almost 2 years without borrowing) which translates to Ksh. 1.3 Billion DAILY PBT (profits before tax). Yes, a daily profit of Ksh. 1.3 Billion. That kind of performance is not magical - it's just smart application of basic economics and intelligent (strategically meaningful) politics + policies. eCommerce? USPS (et. al) operation at scale is what made Amazon possible at scale. Prosperity is not just about efficiency - the size of market matters. It matters a lot! Africa combined is the 8th largest economy in the world yet as individual countries we barely register on the global radar. Individual African countries are simply not viable. No amount of aid or borrowing will fix scale deficiencies - in fact, the lack of scale is what makes our current national debts worrisome and risky! The idea of "national pride" carriers is ancient and obsolete. We need Pan-African Champion Airlines (where countries buy shares in not more than three Pan-African Airlines - North, Central and South). This would immediately dissolve the perceived (delusional) national advantage of self-imposed barriers to open skies and regional trade. The current heavy reliance on international markets is not smart at all (we are highly exposed to global shocks and geopolitics); it should be supplemented by sensible and massive intra-Africa trade. Pan-Africanism is not a sentimental idea, it is a rational and intelligent economic strategy. It is the only way to create a common and unified mindset that will unlock scale in Africa. Thankfully a good number of African leaders and technocrats are recognizing these challenges, hence the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) initiative, which requires ratification of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, and the African Passport, as part of the integration process. As business people it is in our interest to support these initiatives as much as we can - but also to be vigilant of powerful (foreign state-backed) resource-extraction MNCs that would want to hijack or sabotage Africa's integration because it spoils their centuries-long plunder party. How does my argument hold, in view of success stories like Equity and/or Safaricom? In science, we disprove arguments by looking for a 'black swan" (just a single instance of contradiction) - are they not the Black Swans? Nope! Equity and Safaricom have certain common business model aspects which allow them to operate "successfully" with limited scale. The most obvious being network effects - but there are other non-obvious factors which are out of scope of this article. Still these are still tiny and fragile operations relative to their scale-leveraged counterparts which earn tens of billions of shillings in revenues daily (and trillions annually). Our culture of mediocrity is what makes us celebrate our (relative) minions. Failure to think in terms of scale is dangerous.. it leads to (or encourages) predatory corporate behavior, comfort zones, mediocrity and other mental barriers. Thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts on the above. Good day & Brgds, Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross Domain Innovator | Independent Public Policy Analyst - Indigenous Innovations]

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Public Consultation on National Broadband Strategy for Kenya
by Gimode, Chiimbiru 13 Mar '19

13 Mar '19

Dear Listers, You will recall the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (MoICT) constituted an inter-agency Steering Committee to review of Kenya’s first National Broadband Strategy (NBS) for the period 2013-2017. The Committee draws membership from the MoICT, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (VDS), National Communications Secretariat (NCS) and the ICT Authority (ICTA). The team is at the tail-end of the review of the NBS and is seeking views from the members of the public to enrich the NBS for the period 2018 – 2023 in line with Constitution of Kenya 2010. Attached is a public notice on the same. You can access the consultation paper on the Authority’s website on this link: https://ca.go.ke/consumers/public-consultations/open-consultations/ The deadline for submission of comments is 15th March 2019. Best Regards, Chiimbiru Gimode, CMRP, MPRSK. Communications Officer Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Head Office: CA Centre,Waiyaki Way,Westlands, Nairobi I P.O Box 14448 Nairobi 00800. Regional Offices: Mombasa I Nyeri I Kisumu I Eldoret Office Line : 0703-042-524 I Website : www.ca.go.ke I Twitter : @CA_Kenya Facebook : Communications Authority of Kenya I YouTube : CA Kenya I Instagram: CA Kenya Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cck-kenya Core Values: Integrity | Innovation| Excellence “Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today’’-Ernest Hemingway Please be responsible, consider the environment before printing this e-mail. DISCLAIMER:- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission.

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