Using the willing buyer willing seller analogy, I still think the debate is a bit premature for our region. Service providers have to invest to avail the service. Even the government invests and taxes the citizens to get a return on its investment. In light of this fact, when a service provider makes an effort to provide a service within their economic means (what they can afford), let them provide the service and make a return on their investment. If their service sucks, someone will come with a better service and knock them off the pedestal. Remember the government promised free-wi fi in its manifesto, as to why it has not taken off two years down the line, your guess is as good as mine , Free - Basic :-)<div id="DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><table style="border-top: 1px solid #aaabb6; margin-top: 10px;"> <tr> <td style="width: 105px; padding-top: 15px;"> <a href="https://www.avast.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail" target="_blank"><img src="https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/logo-avast-v1.png" style="width: 90px; height:33px;"/></a> </td> <td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 20px; color: #41424e; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast. <br /><a href="https://www.avast.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail" target="_blank" style="color: #4453ea;">www.avast.com</a> </td> </tr> </table><a href="#DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1" height="1"></a></div> On 12/2/15, Ngigi Waithaka via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Ali,
This is also very interesting to me as well...
For as long as there has been someone selling something, there has always been either a free sample and/or free time etc. Focusing on our industry, there are lots of free things that companies push in order to get that important lock in... e.g
Google Search (Free) -> Locks you in to Google Ads Android (Free)-> Locks you in to Google Ads 120 Day MS Office Free Trial -> Locks you to MS Office paid Linux (Free) -> Locks you in to using *free* things :-) Include any other software firm here...
I mean, this list and especially in Technology is *endless*
Question is, if Facebook is giving away free internet to lock in users to Facebook its just following a line that's been drawn in the sand from the first salesman.
Why are we picking on them?
Rgds
On Wed, Dec 2, 2015 at 10:43 AM, Ali Hussein via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Waudo
Nothing is free in this world.. :-)
To bring you upto speed on this issue I'd recommend Kivuva's seminal discourse on this issue:-
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_th...
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On 2 Dec 2015, at 9:51 AM, waudo siganga via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thanks for this initiative Grace. I am just wondering what is wrong with commercial entities that want people to access their sites for free. I would encourage anything given for free! In earlier days we were preaching that we should let the market decide direction. The old policies that were unilaterally set by governments had failed to deliver universal services as we saw with the telephony sector before market liberalization. It looks now we are going full circle and there is a move to curtail market forces, possibly using governmental interventions. However I am still in the process of updating myself on this issue.
Waudo
On Tue, Dec 1, 2015, at 12:07 AM, Grace Githaiga via kictanet wrote:
Dear Listers
Greetings. I hope your week has started well.
The topic of Net Neutrality has become an important global Internet Governance issue in the last two years, and has generated some interesting debates.
In Kenya, Facebook has partnered with Airtel to offer users zero rated services, christened "free basics" which means that several websites have been selected (for lack of a proper word) to participate in the platform, where users access these websites for free. However, the same users cannot access any other website unless they pay for the data.
Different positions depending on where their proponents stand have been shared. Please find one here by Nanjira Sambuli http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/free-internet-freedom-create/-/620/297563... and another by our own Mwendwa Kivuva http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_th...
Those for pro zero rated services have argued that it gives more users free access to the Internet, and that it is a genuine attempt to connect the unconnected. Those on the opposite side argue that zero rating stifles innovation, leads to customers lock-in, is anti competitive behavior, confuses the users on the true meaning of the Internet, denies users choice, and makes policy makers lazy in ensuring proper affordable internet is availed to the masses.
Facebook's Head of Public Policy, Africa Ebele Okobi, and the Public Policy Manager, Africa Akua Gwekye have graciously agreed to respond to any queries the community has on zero rated services.
*The Process*
Please articulate your concerns and ask questions as we usually do when we have moderated debates. The facebook team will then look at the questions and respond to you on Wednesday Evening. Depending on how it goes, we can then see how to continue engaging with them.
I think this is a great opportunity for the facebook team to unpackage free basics issue, and it is my hope that the debate will be exciting given the prominence members of the list have given the net neutrality debate.
Over to you listers! And a very warm welcome to Ebele and Akua.
Warmly
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