Hello Dear Lucy and All, We meet in another setting (where you're being given the same royal treatment you deserve everywhere), and am thrilled to hear abt this invaluable endeavor. Bravo!!!! I am wondering abt your presence in W Kenya now? Am thinking abt Mumias, Kisumu, and Mbita (KAIPPG, Reachout, Lake Fellowship, Deaf Impact Ministry, and others). Also, are you attending the e-learning conference in May, and/or the telecentre meeting in June? Both would be great places for a "plug" (advertising being connecting by other means), and I'd like to do some networking re linking you up with folks I know who will be there. Thanks again so much (esp for being the "non-retiring" kind!), and "Kudos to Kimani" (for uniting us "al", haha!), Janet (Feldman, [email protected]) -----Original Message-----

From: Lucy Kimani <[email protected]> Sent: Apr 23, 2007 1:45 PM To: Janet Feldman <[email protected]> Subject: [kictanet] Free PC and cheap Internet for SMEs/Home Users

Alex, Joan, Florence and Njorohio, and all our well wishers:

On behalf of Alunite, let me thank you very much for the kudos.

Njorohio, if you already have a standalone PC and just need connection call us, and we will review your requirements, and come up with an offer you can not resist.

Alunite is extremely serious about being the ISP for the "People by the People"

There will be something for everybody in the Alunite DSL "Kiondo"

Lucy Kimani on behalf of Alunite Communications, Ltd.

...

Hi All This is great and will assist the SMES However I think the SMEs and even homeworkers can afford the PC but the hindrance has been the cost of the Bandwidth. Can the company consider as an alternative the charge for the link only. This may persuade those firms with standalone computers to subscribe to the service. Cheers

Njorohio

Florence Etta <[email protected]> wrote: Brilliant!!

Florence Etta

----- Original Message ---- From: Joan Walumbe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, 23 April, 2007 4:16:18 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: [ke-internetusers] Free PC and cheap Internet forSMEs and Home Users

Thanks Alex for the info,

This is actually a great idea. Would you have a contact number or email address for Alunite?

Joan Walumbe ----- Original Message ----- From: Alex Gakuru To: Kictanet Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:57 AM Subject: [kictanet] Fwd: [ke-internetusers] Free PC and cheap Internet forSMEs and Home Users

Alex Gakuru <[email protected]> wrote: Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:51:01 +0300 From: "Alex Gakuru" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [ke-internetusers] Free PC and cheap Internet for SMEs and Home Users

[This brightens a new dawn for Kenya's connectivity. I have often argued that lesser city traffic jams and higher national productivity can be achieved by taking internet outside the city centre, Nairobi currently having 80% of Kenya's internet. Many are bound to choose working from home to save on expensive city office rent overheads and "outsourcing" will definitely benefit considering the time differences become less of a problem, security is also a consideration.

Forecasting on this possibility at a stakeholders workshop on 22 March 2007, I warned that it would only take "one clever ISP" to realise this enormous small business and home user waiting market away from the current "corporates-only" internet (used between 8am to 5 pm and half-days on Saturdays which drops at lunch-time. (see the first graph at http://www.isoc.or.ke/connectivity.html - website under development)] ----------------------- [Business Daily]

ISP targets home users with free PC's Written by Okkutah Mark Monday, 23 April 2007 [NAIROBI]

While most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) target corporate users, one new entrant into the online market is banking on capturing residential, small and home business users with a unique offer: a free computer.

The company, Alunite, says most Kenyans would love to be connected to a high-speed DSL Internet connection from home, but the lack of affordable personal computers, and high bandwidth costs have kept most out of the loop.

Lucy Kimani, the ISPs executive director said Alunite was partnering with Kenya Data Networks (KDN) and Keysde, a local company involved in computer assembly in which Keysde will provide PCs, under a guarantee that the ISP settles the bill within 90 days.

KDN will provide the DSL linkage to it's Metro optical fibre.

"As an ISP we are linking the home subscribers to the KDN's link which will provide them with a high-speed connection," said Ms Kimani. "We also realised that a majority of people don't own computers, and that's why we looked how we could solve this problem."

The deal does come with a catch though. In exchange for a free computer, subscribers must sign a one-year agreement to subscribe to Alunite's Internet sevices, which cost 5,945 per month.

The computer—an Intel Pentium 1.2 Ghz PC—retails for Sh10,300 in local shops.

But Ms Kimani said it was more than just a freebie.

"We eliminate the hassle of dealing with a separate connectivity provider and provide attentive customer service," she said. "Our company coordinates all aspects of the installation of the service including site inspection."

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