I don't like talking to myself because most of the time people make
wrong judgements about me ;) but I have to say this...

It is interesting to note that the US Govt has a Federal Energy
Management Program that among other things maps out data center energy
requirements http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/program/dc_energy_consumption.html
and (presumably) plans suitable interventions in collaboration with
industry according to the projected requirements.

Regards,

Brian

On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM, Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Robert,
>
> Like it or not Nicholas' point is fundamentally true.
>
> Let's go back to Internet 101: You either have eyeballs or you have
> content. If you have content, the eyeballs will need to get to you so
> you need to sit your content somewhere accessible, affordable and
> secure. If you have eyeballs you need to provide them with a means to
> get to the content or else they will go to someone else who can.
>
> The problem with Kenya is not just that our energy is expensive. The
> biggest problem is that it simply is not enough. Ask Dr. Ndemo or Paul
> Kukubo what one of the leading questions any content owner asks when
> they come visiting to find out what all the buzz is about Kenya and
> whether they should consider putting up here? Yes, you got it - "can
> you meet our energy needs?" Without a fail in every case the answer is
> "no".
>
> This is an issue that needs to be considered very carefully if we
> intend to be a serious contender on the global scene.
>
> Tried to find online stats about the average energy usage of a Google
> data centet but apparently these are well kept secrets. But I remember
> hearing sometime back that a single Google data center uses more
> energy than the city of Nairobi(sic).
>
> Regards,
>
> Brian
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 8:33 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>> Hi Nicholas,
>>
>> I strongly disagree with you on the issue of developing local hosting
>> capacity, the only way we can reduce our reliance on the marine cable and
>> also to give the rest of the world reason to keep us lit is if we have
>> content to offer.
>>
>> Eugene makes a valid point in saying that we are spending hundreds of
>> millions to make round trips on the internet it is essential that we carry
>> out a true cost of connectivity analysis after which I will assure you that
>> we shall still be better off setting up local data centres even with the
>> high electricity costs.
>>
>> The world also needs to look for disaster recovery locations in safe
>> heavens, Egypt might have lower energy costs but as it seems now its status
>> as a safe destination has become questionable what is the worlds alternative
>> if not Kenya with or without its high energy costs?
>>
>> Until recently I wore shoes made by Bata, recently I visited one of their
>> shops to pick a new pair just to realise that it was made in China after
>> which my loyalty weaned and now I will look at other stores that do not have
>> local manufacturing capacity.
>>
>> Safaricom might enjoy the lower costs of hosting MPesa in Germany but when
>> they are forced to route their traffic over expensive satellite connections
>> suddenly the savings do not seem has lucrative.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Build local, use local, grow local and be local
>>
>> Robert Yawe
>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>> Kenya
>>
>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Nicholas J Dear <ndear@sundayafternoon.me.uk>
>> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk
>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> Sent: Tuesday, 28 February 2012, 17:07
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [KICTAnet] TEAMS | EASSY Fiber Cables Cut? SEACOM |
>> LION?
>>
>> This only makes sense if it makes sense to build data
>> centres in Kenya - I don't believe it does.
>>
>> If you look at all the recent major data centre build outs
>> (Apple, Google) - they're either happening where there is
>> enormous amounts of cheap energy, or where it's extremely
>> cold. Kenya doesn't have either of these features and I
>> can't see how it's going to generate large quantities of
>> cheap energy any time soon.
>>
>> N.
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: kictanet-
>>> bounces+ndear=sundayafternoon.me.uk@lists.kictanet.or.k
>>> e [mailto:kictanet-
>>> bounces+ndear=sundayafternoon.me.uk@lists.kictanet.or.k
>>> e] On Behalf Of Eugene Lidede (Synergy)
>>> Sent: 28 February 2012 16:55
>>> To: Nicholas J Dear
>>> Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] [KICTAnet] TEAMS | EASSY Fiber
>>> Cables Cut? SEACOM | LION?
>>> Importance: High
>>>
>>> +1 Michuki on your good points
>>>
>>> > 1. Today we import more than 80% of the Internet
>>> traffic consumed in
>>> > Kenya causing an "Internet Transit Deficit" where
>>> significantly less
>>> > Internet traffic is generated locally than accessed
>>> from overseas,
>>> > similar to what was experienced between Europe and
>>> the US during the
>>> > late 1990's.
>>>
>>> However, what constitutes this traffic? Is it local
>>> content held abroad or
>>> is it genuinely content that cannot otherwise be
>>> obtained/generated locally.
>>> If it is local content held abroad, of which I am
>>> convinced it is, what is
>>> the best solution pre-2030: more fiber - both under sea
>>> and terrestrial,
>>> more redundant landing stations, better behaved
>>> shipping lines or more
>>> capacity and enabling environment for local hosting and
>>> local content
>>> providers?
>>>
>>> Considering a typical case where my suppliers are in
>>> Kenya, my means of
>>> production is in Kenya, my clients are in Kenya with an
>>> occasionally client
>>> or two from abroad. If I had an extra shilling to spend
>>> on my business, what
>>> would make more sense, reengineer my offering to
>>> attract more international
>>> clients or strengthen my local offering?
>>>
>>> How is it that we are comfortable with our top publicly
>>> listed telco,
>>> Safaricom delivering traffic to our top publicly listed
>>> media house in the
>>> UK? What ought to be the focus of our policy makers,
>>> regulators and
>>> licensors: facilitating scenarios as these or
>>> formulating ways to reverse
>>> such? Are there any benefits of such traffic
>>> transactions happening here in
>>> Kenya say at KIXP? How much would it cost say Safaricom
>>> to host say NMG's
>>> suite of websites, even if free of charge, verses how
>>> much does it cost them
>>> in terms of procured capacity, to deliver NMG bound
>>> traffic to the UK? Are
>>> there any short/long term benefits? Can both firms and
>>> others be given tax
>>> incentives to facilitate the above as opposed draining
>>> money on software
>>> certifications, a duplication of what more tax-payer
>>> money is already
>>> successfully doing at public universities?
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Growing up in the seventies and eighties was
>>> interesting... Across all homes
>>> I knew, my friends, my cousins and even the one I grew
>>> up in, the best of
>>> everything was not for regular use by the "locals". The
>>> best cutlery, the
>>> best linen, we even had a term "Sunday Best" to
>>> describe that one Kaunda
>>> suit that could only be worn on Sundays. Chicken was
>>> only to be served when
>>> there were visitors (read "foreigners").  Back then,
>>> things were done more
>>> for the benefit of "foreigners" than for the benefit of
>>> "locals" - or how do
>>> you explain those grandiose wooden chests in the living
>>> room with all manner
>>> of expensive cutlery on display while "locals" made do
>>> with plastic cups and
>>> recycled blue-band tins.
>>>
>>> Fast forward 30 years, and yes only time has "changed".
>>> We the lads and
>>> lasses growing up in the seventies and eighties are now
>>> in our  30s, 40s and
>>> 50s and yes, we are policy makers but as you know old
>>> habits die hard and so
>>> do bad ones. Our preoccupation is on how to better
>>> facilitate delivery of
>>> traffic abroad for what has been generated locally and
>>> is to be consumed
>>> within our borders. This we see as good practice: pay
>>> for export of our
>>> locally produced content and pay some more for its
>>> delivery back home
>>> unmodified for consumption. We see no problem giving a
>>> foreign company most
>>> of our government data via opendata because they are
>>> more competent than
>>> locals in deciphering and analyzing the data on and
>>> about the locals
>>>
>>> Why are we so preoccupied with the international market
>>> as though there are
>>> no business opportunities for locals?
>>>
>>> If indeed ICT and ecommerce is the next economic
>>> frontier, "naomba
>>> sirkal"... Nkt!
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: kictanet-
>>> bounces+eugene=synergy.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>> [mailto:kictanet-
>>> bounces+eugene=synergy.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
>>> Behalf Of Michuki Mwangi
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:10 PM
>>> To: Eugene Lidede
>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] TEAMS | EASSY Fibre Cables Cut?
>>> SEACOM | LION?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/28/12 9:06 AM, James Mbugua wrote:
>>> > Brian
>>> >
>>> > TEAMS general manager Joel Tanui said it will take
>>> three weeks
>>> > although that may be to avoid over promising.
>>> >
>>> > I'm told Eassy also has a cut near Djibouti and is
>>> currently being
>>> repaired.
>>> >
>>> > Operators now have no option but to switch to the
>>> very expensive
>>> > Seacom. By some accounts it is three times as
>>> expensive as TEAMS.
>>> >
>>> > Safaricom which carries 80 per cent of Kenya's
>>> internet traffic
>>> > usually has 50 per cent going through TEAMS and has
>>> switched this to
>>> > Seacom.
>>> >
>>>
>>> IMHO we need to have a clearer understanding of the
>>> bigger picture to
>>> set the long term goals and objectives.
>>>
>>> 1. Today we import more than 80% of the Internet
>>> traffic consumed in
>>> Kenya causing an "Internet Transit Deficit" where
>>> significantly less
>>> Internet traffic is generated locally than accessed
>>> from overseas,
>>> similar to what was experienced between Europe and the
>>> US during the
>>> late 1990's.
>>>
>>> 2. We are dependent on a single East-Bound path from
>>> "Nairobi - Mombasa
>>> - (Mumbai/Fujaira) before going to Europe. This is
>>> despite the fact that
>>> we have terrestrial capacity from Cape Town to Cairo to
>>> provide an
>>> North-bound path that would complement the longer path.
>>>
>>> 3. The BBC article did not mention that, with the
>>> Submarine cable cuts
>>> the Internet traffic between the East African Countries
>>> Kenya, Tanzania,
>>> Uganda, Rwanda are most adversely affected. My current
>>> tests are showing
>>> over 1sec latency from Nairobi to some networks in
>>> Tanzania, Rwanda and
>>> Uganda. This is despite the reality that Uganda and
>>> Rwanda are largely
>>> dependent on the terrestrial cables passing through
>>> Kenya onto the cables.
>>>
>>> 4. South bound Internet traffic (to Southern Africa)
>>> has acquires
>>> satellite like latencies (higher than 500ms). As a
>>> result of the cable
>>> cuts. There's more than sufficient capacity
>>> terrestrially but we still
>>> have to go to Europe before going back South.
>>>
>>> If we can work towards resolving the above issues with
>>> concrete plans
>>> and solutions. It's likely that such cable cuts in the
>>> future will not
>>> cause the level of attention and anxiety that we see
>>> are experiencing today.
>>>
>>>
>>> My 2 cents.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Michuki.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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>>> 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
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>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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>>
>>
>> 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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>>
>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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>>
>> 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.
>
>
>
> --
> Brian Munyao Longwe
> e-mail: blongwe@gmail.com
> cell:  +254715964281
> blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
> meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com
>
> "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to
> stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for
> anything."



--
Brian Munyao Longwe
e-mail: blongwe@gmail.com
cell:  +254715964281
blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to
stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for
anything."