Eric and Walu,

I post this long message to question how much "engagement" would make this constituency as important to our lawmakers as it is for their American counterparts. The excertps are on legislative, regulatory and industry developments in the US in the the last 10 days (courtesy of ISOC New York mailing list).

What quality of discussion transpires between our legislators when they discuss ICTs with their counterparts over yonder?

Kindly excuse the length but I wanted to prove with some data. Walu, bite in small pieces:-)

Thxs

Alex
--------------------

May 17

HEARING TODAY ON BROADBAND MAPPING BILL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The House Telecom & Internet Subcommittee will hold a hearing on a draft bill that would establish in law that "high-speed" Internet access means "transmission at speeds allowing the user to download not less than 2 megabits per second and upload not less than 1 megabit per second." Moreover, the legislation would require the National Telecommunications & Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to collect more, and more precise, data on the rollout of broadband service in the US. The FCC would collect the data, and NTIA would be charged with coming up with a map showing exactly where, and what kind of, broadband service was available.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6442596.html?rssid=193
* For more on the hearing see http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.051707.Witness.list.pdf

May 16, 2007
NY Sues Dell, Charges Bait And Switch
By Roy Mark

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo accused Dell today of engaging in "bait and switch" financing tactics and ignoring service and warranty contracts. In a lawsuit filed in Albany, N.Y., Cuomo also charged the Texas computer maker with deceptive business practices involving rebates, billing
and collection.

Dell denied the accusations.

Cuomo is seeking restitution to consumers, civil penalties and guarantees from Dell that it will not engage in any further "deceptive, illegal, and fraudulent practices." The state did not release details on financial damages it might seek.

"At Dell, customer service means no service at all. Dell's consumers were intentionally misled, and they had to pay for that privilege," Cuomo said in a statement. "I hope this lawsuit sends a message to companies large and small that delivering a product is simply not enough -- the promises they make must be delivered as well."

The lawsuit accuses Dell of attracting customers with advertising touting no interest or no early payment
financing promotions. According to Cuomo, the "vast majority" of customers were denied the deals. Instead, Dell and DFS offered customers financing deals that often exceeded 20 percent.

The lawsuit also claims DFS incorrectly billed consumers on canceled orders, returned merchandise or accounts they did not authorize Dell to open. Cuomo said those same customers were then harassed with illegal billing and collection calls.

In addition, Cuomo alleges Dell repeatedly failed to provide timely on-site repair as promised in service contracts and discouraged customers from seeking technical support. The lawsuit claims Dell's New York customers calling the company's toll free support number were subjected to long wait times, frequent transfers and disconnections.

In cases where on site service was provided, the lawsuit claims, Dell used defective "refurbished" parts or computers to repair or replace consumers' equipment.

Dell (Quote)quickly responded with a statement denying the accusations.

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3678091
 
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SPEEDWAY
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: ]
Speedy Internet connections once were considered perks for the privileged. Robust Net access was enjoyed by 30% of U.S. households as late as 2005, mostly in white homes. Meanwhile, so-called broadband adoption by blacks was a mere 14%, according to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The resulting "digital divide" between white and black was considered a lasting socioeconomic problem--like the protracted disparity between black and white unemployment. But in the past two years, African Americans have been devouring broadband technology--and the digital divide has shrunk significantly, at least for this group. The share of black households with a cable modem, DSL, or satellite Internet connection climbed to 40% this year, Pew says. That's almost twice as fast as the growth of broadband penetration for the general population, which grew to 47%. The income gap has narrowed, too, but not as much: Households making less than $30,000 a year doubled their broadband participation, to 30%. That still pales next to 76% for households that have incomes of at least $75,000. Some of the closing of the racial divide can be traced to falling prices and rising availability of new technology. But that masks a deeper shift in the relationship of blacks to the Web. The Net today offers an abundance of entertainment riches--digital music, pictures, movies, video chat, games--that can be tailored to individual taste, not to mention services such as job networks and training. Gaining access to that killer content without broadband speeds would be like sucking hot fudge through a straw.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_21/b4035061.htm?campaign_id=rss_tech


It's Silicon Valley vs. Telcos in Battle for Wireless Spectrum
Frank Rose Email 05.16.07 | 2:00 AM

Apple's iPhone may be the most eagerly awaited gadget of the year, but when it finally goes on sale some time next month, only 30 percent of US mobile phone customers -- those who subscribe to AT&T's wireless service -- will be able to use it. Verizon subscribers might have had a shot, but executives at that carrier nixed the idea of letting an Apple device onto their network years ago. It's as if Mac owners had to connect to the internet through AT&T because their machines wouldn't work on Verizon, Comcast or Time Warner Cable.

The wire-line internet doesn't work that way, and wireless doesn't have to either. By the end of this year, the FCC is expected to start auctioning a frequency band that could be used for a wireless network that any device -- be it a cell phone, laptop, desktop, TV or toaster -- would be able to connect to.

A proposal to build such a network has been presented by Frontline Wireless, a startup backed by three of Silicon Valley's biggest players: Venture capitalist John Doerr, Google angel investor Ram Sriram and one-time Netscape CEO James Barksdale. But Frontline will be bidding against behemoths like Cingular and Verizon, and whether
it has a chance will be determined within the next few weeks, when the FCC sets the rules for the auction.

The spectrum that's coming up for grabs is prime stuff: A large, low- frequency band that's currently being used by UHF television stations, which have been ordered to vacate it when broadcasting goes digital in February 2009.

UHF may not be as good as VHF, which operates on even lower-frequency spectrum. But it has the ability to carry information through forests, buildings, even mountains, regardless of the weather, and that makes it ideal for broadband wireless, or for mobile-phone service. Ever wonder why Cingular and Verizon, the biggest and most
successful U.S. carriers, can offer more reliable service than Sprint or T-Mobile? Because the big boys already own a large band of spectrum near the UHF band, while the little guys are stuck with spectrum that operates at double the frequency and is far less powerful as a result.
<http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/05/uhf_spectrum>


NATIONAL BROADBAND POLICY RANT
[SOURCE: INTERNET.COM, AUTHOR: Mark Koskenmaki]
[Commentary] Why do we need to know how many Americans subscribe to broadband services? Why would the mayor of my town, for instance, want to know? What public purpose would be served by expending resources to find out? Koskenmaki argues there is no reason. So why is the FCC and Congress in a dither about where broadband is available? If people want it, it will come. Just like grocery stores. If it won't, then the real question of consequence is: WHY? Is it not economically feasible? Is it physically not feasible? Is the actual demand enough to sustain the mechanism to provide the service? What artificial obstructions exist to providing broadband? There are only two choices: Either private enterprise fills the needs, like grocery stores door government takes over and "takes care of us" like they did with the telephone monopoly way back when. There is no "middle ground". For decades we paid absurdly high costs for phone services, and "innovation" and "change" did not even exist. Either we become ardent, vocal, and so persistent in our defense, insisting upon keeping free enterprise alive and the regulators the hell away...or we give up and admit that we prefer monopolies.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/politics/2007/national_broadband_policy_rant.html


HEARING: BROADBAND MAPPING AND DATA COLLECTION
[SOURCE: House of Representatives Commerce Committee]
The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet will hold a Legislative Hearing on H.R.____, a Discussion Draft Addressing Broadband Mapping and Data Collection. Thursday May 17 at 2:00 p.m. in room 2322 Rayburn House Office Building
http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/schedule.shtml

"NATIONAL" BROADBAND PLAN A STALKING HORSE FOR REGULATING INTERNET
[SOURCE: Scott Cleland]
[Commentary] A "national broadband plan" is a codeword for a 1970's-style government "industrial policy" where the government decides what technologies consumers get and which companies will succeed of fail. By arbitrarily choosing speeds and arbitrarily setting timetables for deployment, the government is setting itself up to take a much more proactive and interventionist role in heavily regulating and managing broadband competition into a utility-like system.
http://www.precursorblog.com/node/389

SENATOR ROCKEFELLER INTRODUCES BROADBAND RESOLUTION
[SOURCE: TMCNet, AUTHOR: Greg Galitzine]
Senator John D. Rockefeller IV has introduced a resolution calling for the creation of a National Broadband Policy with the goal of becoming a "100 Megabit Nation" by 2015. Sen Rockefeller believes that, "A national broadband policy is critical to the future of our country," and, "would provide a tremendous social and economic benefit," to all Americans. He cited popular video and social networking sites such as YouTube and MySpace and how they have become such integral parts of society. He stressed that those popular sites are just scratching the surface when it comes to the transformational power of broadband. Sen Rockefeller proposed a roadmap towards establishing a set of goals. "The first step in going somewhere is to know where you are going, and the same is true in public policy." By the end of 2007, we should establish a national goal and pass a series of policy actions designed to achieve our national goal. There will likely be multiple parts to the plan, and we will likely need to modify those parts over time. But if we do not have a plan, we cannot expect to accomplish our goal." Sen Rockefeller suggests policy actions such as tax incentives to spur the private sector to act more aggressively in pursuit of this goal. He believes that Government should offer low-interest loans, and he calls for reform of the Universal Service Fund to encourage broadband deployment.
http://internetcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/broadband-mobile/articles/6779-senator-rockefeller-introduces-broadband-resolution.htm

EXTEND INTERNET'S FULL REACH TO BLACK COMMUNITIES
[SOURCE: Asbury Park Press, AUTHOR: Greg Moore, National NAACP Voter Fund]
[Commentary] We should recognize that, for many black Americans, a seat at the table in the information age is still largely illusory. It's the time-worn story of the digital divide. While investment from cable and phone companies has extended high-speed broadband Internet lines to 95 percent of all homes in America, only 14 percent of black Americans subscribe to broadband at home. Many experts suggest that price is the cause of this troubling digital divide, which has far-reaching consequences for our political community. In an era when the two Democratic front runners for the presidency  one of whom is black  announced their campaigns via Web video, it is a tragic irony that thousands of black voters across America couldn't see them. During the 2004 elections, President Bush courageously called for universal broadband by the year 2007, but no plan ever materialized. Now, presidential candidates once again promise to expand affordable access to broadband. But talk is cheap. Candidates who expect the black vote should be prepared to offer real policy solutions to solve real problems. Moore argues 1) for funding community technology centers, 2) against Network Neutrality, and 3) in support of continuing E-rate funding.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/OPINION/705110384/1030
* NAACP Inconsistent on Broadband
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/83745

FREE-INTERNET PLAN GETS SF CONTROLLER'S OFFICE OK
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Ryan Kim]
The San Francisco controller's office issued a favorable review Friday on a proposal by EarthLink and Google to provide the city with free wireless Internet access. The report estimates residents could save $9 million to $18 million in Internet bills annually by having the option of choosing the EarthLink service, which will offer free access as well as a paid service that is cheaper than other broadband options like DSL and cable. The report said the service will help the city bridge the digital divide, providing many residents with Internet service for the first time. It also noted it would be a boon to EarthLink, giving it a foothold in the San Francisco broadband market.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/12/BUG6FPPLB21.DTL&type=tech

USDA ANNOUNCES NEW PROPOSED RULES FOR BROADBAND IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
[SOURCE: US Department of Agriculture]
On Friday, Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr announced the publication of new proposed rules designed to facilitate the further deployment of broadband services to rural communities nationwide. Key elements include: 1) Promoting deployment to rural areas with little or no service; 2) Ensuring that residents in funded areas get broadband access more quickly; 3) Limiting funding in urban areas and areas where a significant share of the market is served by incumbent providers; 4) Clarifying and streamlining equity and marketing survey requirements; 5) Increasing the transparency of the application process, including legal notice requirements, to make more informed lending/borrowing decisions; 6) Promoting a better understanding of all application requirements, including market survey, competitive analysis, business plan, and system design requirements; and 7) ensuring that projects funding are keeping pace with increasing demand for bandwidth.
http://www.dailywireless.org/2007/05/14/rural-broadband-gets-a-plan/








 


 


On 5/18/07, Eric Osiakwan <eric@afrispa.org> wrote:
Walu, the flaw in your question is establishing the validity of ICT Constituency based on the "no show" of the politicians. Politicians are known for "no shows"as a face saving mechanism so i would rather that we deal with the "no show" tool which is what others are suggestion than revisit this settled debate on legitimacy and validity. 

Please, lets stick to the principle of people honouring their word when the give it. If they cannot for whatever reason, there are acceptable norms of disengaging.

Eric here



On 18 May 2007, at 11:28, John Walubengo wrote:

Dear Listers,

Now that I missed the great debate that almost was, I have
had time to think 'brutal' by daring to ask the
question-Does the ICT constituency matter?

From a political point of view - narrow as it maybe - the
ICT constituency may not matter.  2 million urban,
middle-class  internet (ICT?)users, stuck  between the two
cities of Nairobi & Mombasa may not be worthy of national
political consideration...

So if I was a presidential candidate in .KE, you will
forgive me if I concentrated on issues that the common man
can identify with...land, tribalism, corruption,
insecurity....unless ofcourse u  get a way to give the
above an ICT twist...

walu.
--- Brian Longwe <brian@isisweb.nl> wrote:

I would like to strongly echo the sentiments of Lucy as
well as to  
add my own fury to the fire.

I was extremely upset that not only did *NONE* of the
presidential  
aspirants show up - but some of them even went as far as
responding  
to phone calls by saying "I am on the way, will be there
in 20  
minutes"...... then never turning up..... can you imagine
that?  
Treating the Kenyan ICT community like a spurned
girlfriend or  
boyfriend?

Anyway I think that the message that has been sent by the
absence of  
every single one of the aspiring presidents was very LOUD
and CLEAR -

" We don't care about ICT - it doesn't factor in our
vision - it is  
unimportant to us"

As very precisely put by someone I overheard at the
meeting - "these  
aspiring presidents probably don't even know how to spell
ICT"

We must make a loud and strong statement about his and
ensure that  
the wider Kenyan community realises the true colours of
their  
"wannabe" presidents.

Brian

On May 17, 2007, at 12:26 PM, John Walubengo wrote:

LK,

u sound a bit disappointed.   Unfortunately i didnt
attend
the function and would like to know who really turned
up
from the presidential aspirants and what they said...

Michuki, any hope for the text transcript?   Or Becky
could
give us a brief the old way in form of
minutes/updates/etc?
Then from there the absentees like me could contribute
more
intelligently on the way forward...

walu.

--- Lucy Kimani < lkimani@comnews.co.ke> wrote:

All,

I am just venting on the dismal performance of our
aspiring presidential
candidates, I have noticed a trend where those in
leadershipship positions
let alone those aspiring for the same confirm their
attendance to a
certain function and then not show up or best case
scenario show up 2-3
hours late.  I keep asking myself why do we as Kenyans
accept this
behavior, and I am at a loss!

Actually, my pesa nane is that we as the citizens need
to
start demanding
accountability in that when one says they will attend
a
function then they
should keep to their word, after all why are electing
people whose word
doesnt count for much?  Additionally, most of us also
have busy work lives
and the fact that we were willing to stop what we were
doing to sit down
to hear what these aspiring candidates have to say
about
ICT is a
testament to how important we feel ICT to be to the
country.

I am one for making strong statements, and a one page
ad
expressing our
displeasure and questioning why the candidates are
scared
of facing a
serious group of citizens wanting to know where each
of
them stands in ICT
would be in order!  I am sure if it was one of those
meetings where fans
are shouting at the top of their voices, and no one is
asking any serious
questions they probably would show up, we need to
start
demanding more
from our politicians!

Just my thoughts!

LK


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Executive Secretary
Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031
Fax: + 233.21.258811
Cell: + 233.244.386792
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