Should we worry over the impending Telkom Collapse
Listers Happy Holidays. Interesting story in the Sunday Nation on the above. It's especially poignant for me as I sit in Lamu trying to send an email for the last two hours with no success. I have both Orange and Safaricom and both have failed me dismally. I'm left wondering:- What National Broadband Strategy if we can't get the key county headquarters connected even with decent reliable connectivity. Maybe it's because it's the season of Kaskazi which is interfering with connectivity. Anyway, back to the Telkom issue:- Clearly, the government is yet to think through a clear strategy on how to handle the impending exit of France Telecom from the shareholding of Telkom Kenya – even as the country’s third mobile operator in terms of subscribers sinks deeper into financial distress. The uncertainty around the fate of what was once one of the largest state corporations with a workforce of more than 23,000 employees is captured in a recent letter by Information and Communications Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’i, to President Uhuru Kenyatta. Writing in October, Dr Matiang’i argued that the insolvency of Telkom Kenya was bound to affect negatively the government’s plans in the ICT sector. According to Dr Matiang’i, Telkom Kenya’s dwindling fortunes will put the success of the national broadband strategy, including the plans to roll out Huduma Centres at risk. Read on:- http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-State-should-worry-over-impending-c... Question(s) 1. I hope Dr. Matiang'i was misquoted because for the life of me I can't see how the collapse of one company can put the whole country's Broadband Strategy at risk. Can someone please explain this to me? I doubt this is the case. Was the management contract for NOFBi so skewed to favour Orange Telkom that we are now unable to extricate ourselves? 2. Are we serious about connecting the country? By now we should expect at least the same level of connectivity as Nairobi. We now know that the myth of our country's GDP coming majorly from Nairobi is just that. A myth. Again, when are we going to get the Universal Access Fund working? At this rate we might as well call it a Phantom. 3. Why are we wasting so much energy on Telkom Kenya? I do commensurate with the current Government because they really were saddled with this albatross. But now it's time to put it out of its misery. This may sound callous but Orange is going nowhere. Even the staff know it. If we want to save Kenyan jobs then let's step in and revert it back to being a parastatal because clearly the French have funked it. Ali Hussein +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein Sent from my iPad
Ali, proper implementation of USF will save us from the poor speeds you are experiencing in Lamu. As for Telkom, a complete exit by the government would do the trick. If it's made a parastatal, it will be another conduit for the executive to reward political cronies and siphon taxpayers money. Kencel/Zain/Airtel has survived the tough landscape as investors try to keep afloat their capital. This would be the case if Telkom was completely privatised. Let market forces, regulation, and policy decide the fate of the industry, but we should do everything possible to keep Telkom afloat. On 21/12/2014, Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Listers
Happy Holidays.
Interesting story in the Sunday Nation on the above. It's especially poignant for me as I sit in Lamu trying to send an email for the last two hours with no success. I have both Orange and Safaricom and both have failed me dismally. I'm left wondering:-
What National Broadband Strategy if we can't get the key county headquarters connected even with decent reliable connectivity. Maybe it's because it's the season of Kaskazi which is interfering with connectivity.
Anyway, back to the Telkom issue:-
Clearly, the government is yet to think through a clear strategy on how to handle the impending exit of France Telecom from the shareholding of Telkom Kenya - even as the country's third mobile operator in terms of subscribers sinks deeper into financial distress.
The uncertainty around the fate of what was once one of the largest state corporations with a workforce of more than 23,000 employees is captured in a recent letter by Information and Communications Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang'i, to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Writing in October, Dr Matiang'i argued that the insolvency of Telkom Kenya was bound to affect negatively the government's plans in the ICT sector.
According to Dr Matiang'i, Telkom Kenya's dwindling fortunes will put the success of the national broadband strategy, including the plans to roll out Huduma Centres at risk.
Read on:-
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-State-should-worry-over-impending-c...
Question(s)
1. I hope Dr. Matiang'i was misquoted because for the life of me I can't see how the collapse of one company can put the whole country's Broadband Strategy at risk. Can someone please explain this to me? I doubt this is the case. Was the management contract for NOFBi so skewed to favour Orange Telkom that we are now unable to extricate ourselves?
2. Are we serious about connecting the country? By now we should expect at least the same level of connectivity as Nairobi. We now know that the myth of our country's GDP coming majorly from Nairobi is just that. A myth. Again, when are we going to get the Universal Access Fund working? At this rate we might as well call it a Phantom.
3. Why are we wasting so much energy on Telkom Kenya? I do commensurate with the current Government because they really were saddled with this albatross. But now it's time to put it out of its misery. This may sound callous but Orange is going nowhere. Even the staff know it. If we want to save Kenyan jobs then let's step in and revert it back to being a parastatal because clearly the French have funked it.
Ali Hussein
+254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein
Sent from my iPad
-- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya twitter.com/lordmwesh The best athletes never started as the best athletes. You have to think anyway, so why not think big? - Donald Trump. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky. Tackle the biggest frog first. I will persist until I succeed - Og Mandino.
Mwendwa I agree. But then I think that the county's are basically on their own and they should do all they can to bring themselves into the 22nd Century. Ali Hussein +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein Sent from my iPad
On Dec 22, 2014, at 2:20 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com> wrote:
Ali, proper implementation of USF will save us from the poor speeds you are experiencing in Lamu.
As for Telkom, a complete exit by the government would do the trick. If it's made a parastatal, it will be another conduit for the executive to reward political cronies and siphon taxpayers money.
Kencel/Zain/Airtel has survived the tough landscape as investors try to keep afloat their capital. This would be the case if Telkom was completely privatised.
Let market forces, regulation, and policy decide the fate of the industry, but we should do everything possible to keep Telkom afloat.
On 21/12/2014, Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Listers
Happy Holidays.
Interesting story in the Sunday Nation on the above. It's especially poignant for me as I sit in Lamu trying to send an email for the last two hours with no success. I have both Orange and Safaricom and both have failed me dismally. I'm left wondering:-
What National Broadband Strategy if we can't get the key county headquarters connected even with decent reliable connectivity. Maybe it's because it's the season of Kaskazi which is interfering with connectivity.
Anyway, back to the Telkom issue:-
Clearly, the government is yet to think through a clear strategy on how to handle the impending exit of France Telecom from the shareholding of Telkom Kenya - even as the country's third mobile operator in terms of subscribers sinks deeper into financial distress.
The uncertainty around the fate of what was once one of the largest state corporations with a workforce of more than 23,000 employees is captured in a recent letter by Information and Communications Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang'i, to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Writing in October, Dr Matiang'i argued that the insolvency of Telkom Kenya was bound to affect negatively the government's plans in the ICT sector.
According to Dr Matiang'i, Telkom Kenya's dwindling fortunes will put the success of the national broadband strategy, including the plans to roll out Huduma Centres at risk.
Read on:-
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-State-should-worry-over-impending-c...
Question(s)
1. I hope Dr. Matiang'i was misquoted because for the life of me I can't see how the collapse of one company can put the whole country's Broadband Strategy at risk. Can someone please explain this to me? I doubt this is the case. Was the management contract for NOFBi so skewed to favour Orange Telkom that we are now unable to extricate ourselves?
2. Are we serious about connecting the country? By now we should expect at least the same level of connectivity as Nairobi. We now know that the myth of our country's GDP coming majorly from Nairobi is just that. A myth. Again, when are we going to get the Universal Access Fund working? At this rate we might as well call it a Phantom.
3. Why are we wasting so much energy on Telkom Kenya? I do commensurate with the current Government because they really were saddled with this albatross. But now it's time to put it out of its misery. This may sound callous but Orange is going nowhere. Even the staff know it. If we want to save Kenyan jobs then let's step in and revert it back to being a parastatal because clearly the French have funked it.
Ali Hussein
+254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein
Sent from my iPad
-- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya twitter.com/lordmwesh
The best athletes never started as the best athletes. You have to think anyway, so why not think big? - Donald Trump. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky. Tackle the biggest frog first. I will persist until I succeed - Og Mandino.
What's this NOFBI we talk about? What does it do away from the stories we read on it? This is where NOFBI terminated in Matuu, Machakos County , years ago. I hope it actually terminates somewhere in other counties https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=A668A6168275B341%218306 On Mon Dec 22 2014 at 14:28:46 Ali Hussein via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Mwendwa
I agree. But then I think that the county's are basically on their own and they should do all they can to bring themselves into the 22nd Century.
*Ali Hussein*
+254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 22, 2014, at 2:20 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva <Kivuva@transworldafrica.com> wrote:
Ali, proper implementation of USF will save us from the poor speeds you are experiencing in Lamu.
As for Telkom, a complete exit by the government would do the trick. If it's made a parastatal, it will be another conduit for the executive to reward political cronies and siphon taxpayers money.
Kencel/Zain/Airtel has survived the tough landscape as investors try to keep afloat their capital. This would be the case if Telkom was completely privatised.
Let market forces, regulation, and policy decide the fate of the industry, but we should do everything possible to keep Telkom afloat.
On 21/12/2014, Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Listers
Happy Holidays.
Interesting story in the Sunday Nation on the above. It's especially
poignant for me as I sit in Lamu trying to send an email for the last two
hours with no success. I have both Orange and Safaricom and both have failed
me dismally. I'm left wondering:-
What National Broadband Strategy if we can't get the key county headquarters
connected even with decent reliable connectivity. Maybe it's because it's
the season of Kaskazi which is interfering with connectivity.
Anyway, back to the Telkom issue:-
Clearly, the government is yet to think through a clear strategy on how to
handle the impending exit of France Telecom from the shareholding of
Telkom Kenya - even as the country's third mobile operator in terms of
subscribers sinks deeper into financial distress.
The uncertainty around the fate of what was once one of the largest state
corporations with a workforce of more than 23,000 employees is captured in a
recent letter by Information and Communications Secretary, Dr Fred
Matiang'i, to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Writing in October, Dr Matiang'i argued that the insolvency of Telkom Kenya
was bound to affect negatively the government's plans in the ICT sector.
According to Dr Matiang'i, Telkom Kenya's dwindling fortunes will put the
success of the national broadband strategy, including the plans to roll out
Huduma Centres at risk.
Read on:-
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Why-State-should-worry-over-impending-c...
Question(s)
1. I hope Dr. Matiang'i was misquoted because for the life of me I can't see
how the collapse of one company can put the whole country's Broadband
Strategy at risk. Can someone please explain this to me? I doubt this is the
case. Was the management contract for NOFBi so skewed to favour Orange
Telkom that we are now unable to extricate ourselves?
2. Are we serious about connecting the country? By now we should expect at
least the same level of connectivity as Nairobi. We now know that the myth
of our country's GDP coming majorly from Nairobi is just that. A myth.
Again, when are we going to get the Universal Access Fund working? At this
rate we might as well call it a Phantom.
3. Why are we wasting so much energy on Telkom Kenya? I do commensurate with
the current Government because they really were saddled with this albatross.
But now it's time to put it out of its misery. This may sound callous but
Orange is going nowhere. Even the staff know it. If we want to save Kenyan
jobs then let's step in and revert it back to being a parastatal because
clearly the French have funked it.
Ali Hussein
+254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will
have a generation of idiots". ~ Albert Einstein
Sent from my iPad
-- ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya twitter.com/lordmwesh
The best athletes never started as the best athletes. You have to think anyway, so why not think big? - Donald Trump. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky. Tackle the biggest frog first. I will persist until I succeed - Og Mandino.
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On 22 December 2014 at 20:48, Dennis Kioko via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
This is where NOFBI terminated in Matuu, Machakos County , years ago. I hope it actually terminates somewhere in other counties https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=A668A6168275B341%218306
At this rate, piped water would have been better. ______________________ Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya "There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson
participants (3)
-
Ali Hussein -
Dennis Kioko -
Mwendwa Kivuva