Like many other commodities internet is also packaged based on consumer pockets ranging from Ksh 1 per minute in a cyber cafe to Ksh 20,000 for a dedicated home connection. Fiber is the backbone, service providers should then take it and package it for the users depending on their locale and pockets. The GSM operators have provided a blanket coverage of Internet access in the country. The same can be said of the satellite providers. Consider all these networks like the national power grid. How the user connects to it is the key. The main obstacle today are. COST of .. - The Modem/card/satellite dish - The Computer - Set-up/Installation Costs (in some cases over Ksh 70,000with masts etc) tend to be the main factors. The more users that get into the Internet, the lower the monthly/usage prices will be based on economies of scale and competition.
Day 5- Statistics on Affordability.
I acknowledge an interesting thread filtering in on Trust relationships b/w IGOs/ISPs...feel free to continue contributing on that as well as on today's theme on affordability (multi-tasking encouraged by internet technologies ...)
and just to pick up from Kai's projection of KDN fiber hitting Bungoma in early August 2007. This would be quite a welcome and timely development, but at what cost to the consumer? To what extend will the (internet) services be affordable to the rural/average communities?
Affordability is a subjective term gven that what is considered cheap by the Bill Gates of this world is probably not so for the average Kenyan on the street. In trying to get an objective measurement for affordability, the Report pegged it on the national average incomes. In other words, if the monthly average income in Kenya is around 100USD and if the average monthly cost for internet access is also around 100USD then obviously the average Kenyan will not bother with accessing the Internet - it just becomes way beyond their means or too expensive or not affordable.
The report indicated that access through the more convenient Internet Dial-up/Desktop services costed over 200% the average incomes (too expensive), while the same access through mobile phones was costing just 8% of the average incomes (quite affordable). What needs to be done in order to make Internet Services more afforable to Kenyans?
1 day deliberation on this one.
walu.
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@kictanet.or.ke http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mucheru%40wananchi.com