@Mwangi,
Let me simplify...though you already have the idea. The capacities and technologies are there. Indeed Kenya was amongst the first countries to try/test/install 3G, 4G(LTE) technologies which can push serious internet bandwidth capacities. But the question becomes, how many (average) Kenyans are using or subscribe to these technologies?
The emphasis (at a national level) is the average Kenyan (not Bobby who has a 10MB link to his bedroom that his son uses to attend the online Khan Academy :-)
Anyway, the painful fact according to latest and previous CCK reports @ http://www.cck.go.ke/resc/downloads/Sector_Statistics_Report_for_3rd_Quarter_2012-2013.pdf
show that ONLY 1 million or the 16 million Kenyans on the internet subscribe to the minimum broadband capacities (read: those who
have bought the 3G modems). The rest of the Kenyans have internet access through their phones which access internet at "pedestrian" speeds that allow them to only do Twitter, FB, and other social media things whose worth is debatable as compared to what Bobby's son does with bandwidth galore (Khan Academy).
So noting the above painful realities, the National Broadband Strategy outlines a realistic roadmap to move more Kenyans into that space where the "average" internet link used by Kenyans is not "pedestrian" but is instead a high quality and affordable internet.
Did you know our total international bandwidth to the Internet is 1,000G of which we are only using 300G per Quarter? (=30% use; again from CCK 2013 reports). This translates to the Kenyan usage of only 2G per every 3Mnths! Which then means Kenyans are only tweeting and facebooking online since if they were attending school, healthcare, watching TV, researching
and farming online, the statistics would be different.
Where is the barrier to adoption of higher bandwidths? Not technology.
walu.
From: Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com>
To: Walubengo J <jwalu@yahoo.com>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] National Broadband Strategy
@Walu I do not understand this logic. So the capacity is there but the demand is not? By demand I mean those who can afford it. I always say that Infrastructure must come before demand. Whether that is fueled commercially or by govt intervention by policy or funding either way infrastructure backbone must exist. And this means to the residential or business area and preferably to the house.
As the case of Chattanooga, Kenya power could easily do this and simply add fiber as a utility. I believe dropping a fiber cable to each and every transformer in their network will enable faster inclusion and achievement of broadband for all.