Dear Rachel

Further to Steve's response on the issue of USF utilization and collaboration with Telcos I have some queries:-

According to Steve, and I quote:-

1. 

As the largest contributors to the USF Fund, telecommunication service providers including Safaricom do not have a say as to how the funds are utilised – yet we have the best information as to the constraints that impede rollout of network in marginal areas and the subsidy from the USF facilitates in closing the capital challenge.

In fact, telecommunications providers had requested for representation in the USAC and had received promises that this would be done, but unfortunately the council does not have any operator representation.

End quote.

It would be great for us to understand the rationale against providing the Telcos representation on the USAC. I would also like to request the community to be made to understand why the fund is still under-utilised. As per your last responses on the list you mentioned that out of 4.8b the fund had only utilised 1.5b? yet large swathes of counties are still going without 3G connectivity or in some cases no connectivity at all.

2. With the support of the Telcos could we map out using InfoGraphics the areas that need most attention in the country?

Ali Hussein

Principal

Hussein & 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.