Walu, I agree with you that affordablity is a factor especially for rural communities when it comes to access to the internet. But I think that lack of awareness is an even bigger factor. It's fine for the urban folk (who already recognise the benefits to the internet etc.) taking a short break in shags to have the internet access when back home, but it there is no demand for the internet among the residents what is the point? So does KDN enter a market and then hope to create demand or is their a market that demands the service or is it a little of both? I understand that Kai would not be venturing into the rural areas if it did not make any financial sense. Can anyone provide some info/statistics on demand for internet access in rural areas? Joan Walumbe ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Walubengo" <jwalubengo@kcct.ac.ke> To: <kictanet@kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:01 AM Subject: [kictanet] Day 5 - Statistics on Affordability - CCK InternetStudy Report 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.