One concern I have is how all this is playing out in the rural/marginalised areas. Does Telkom have in their service provision a requirement to ensure Quality of Service in places other than Nairobi and Mombasa? Price wars are good news for us in town and I guess the arrival of the sub-marine fibre will make it even more interesting. But how do the rural population stand to benefit? On a related issue, I am doing a preliminary research on behalf of DFID on the potential impact of the arrival of the sub-marine fibre on development and would welcome some ideas from the group. It seems to me that many are eagerly awaiting the cable (even calling it a revolution) but there doesn't seem to be much to suggest that the country really stands to gain immensely save for having a larger presence on Facebook:-) Victor (DFID) -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+v-gathara=dfid.gov.uk@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+v-gathara=dfid.gov.uk@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of kictanet-request@lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: 17 February 2009 12:00 To: Victor Gathara Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 21, Issue 33 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to kictanet-request@lists.kictanet.or.ke You can reach the person managing the list at kictanet-owner@lists.kictanet.or.ke When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: Orange/Telkom slash internet costs by 40pc (Judy Okite) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:40:02 +0300 From: Judy Okite <judyokite@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Orange/Telkom slash internet costs by 40pc To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: KICTAnet KICTAnet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <45098e8f0902160240o35021145g84c5395cb48fa86e@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 As we celebrate this,WE as consumers need to tread very carefully, lets not forget that cheap can be very expensive....with Telkom's...per minute billing...their speed...is 126Kbps....how much will it cost you to download 100MB? Lets watch the games unfold :-), and be wise. Kind Regards, On 2/13/09, John Walubengo <jwalu@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am indeed watching the Orange space with their new internet tariff offerings. Whereas Safcom&Zain are charging per downloaded MB (data-centric charges), Orange_TKL throws in a totally new dimension i.e. non-data based tariff which time-based. That is per minute billing irrespective of your data volumes.

I think things are going to start heating up even before the fiber lands...reminds me of the original mobile tariff battles that were between the 'per minute' visa viz 'per second' billing models.

I can only say - let the games begin and may the best team win.

walu.

--- On Fri, 2/13/09, Alex Gakuru <gakuru@gmail.com> wrote:

...

From: Alex Gakuru <gakuru@gmail.com> Subject: [ke-internetusers] Orange/Telkom slash internet costs by 40pc To: "ke-users" <ke-internetusers@bdix.net> Date: Friday, February 13, 2009, 10:50 AM A thank you to Orange/Telkom for solving three problems, while making money:-

1) lowering communications costs for consumers( ICT Consumer Association of Kenya opposes all tariffs increases, welcomes all reductions)

2) addressing longstanding "office-hours-only" internet problem (attached Kenya Internet Exchange Point "graph 3" proves it).

3) Universal Access-all of Kenya's internet is/has been 80 per cent only used in "affluent" Nairobi (CCK Internet Market Study)

Alex ------excerpt-- [Daily Nation] Orange slashes its internet access fees EVANS NYABIAGE February 12 2009

It will now be cheaper to use the internet after Telkom Kenya slashed

...

its access fees through the Orange network by 40 per cent.

The new rates mean that one can browse for Sh1 per minute.

"With equipment cost of Sh3,500 for the plug-and-play modem and browsing charges for Sh1 per minute during off peak hours (7pm-7am), universally affordable internet access for Kenyans in rural and urban

...

areas is now a reality," said Telkom Kenya head of marketing and strategy Jean-Michel Chanut.

The revamped internet service is a pay-as-you-go one that comes with a modem, a data-enabled RUIM card (Removable User Identity Module), Sh50 bonus airtime on activation and a step-by-step set-up guide.

Subscribers will be able to top-up upon purchase of Telkom prepaid and VoIP top up cards.

A government move in the 2008/2009 budget to scrap import tax on telecom equipment such as mobile phones and those required for putting up base stations, has resulted in cut-throat competition in the industry.

<http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/-/1006/529474/-/j2b57fz/-/> _______________________________________________ ke-internetusers mailing list ke-internetusers@bdix.net http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers

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-- "Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us." James Harvey Robinson ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet End of kictanet Digest, Vol 21, Issue 33 **************************************** ________________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star. The service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: http://www.star.net.uk ________________________________________________________________________ DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British Government's fight against world poverty. Find out more about the major global poverty challenges and get the facts on what DFID is doing to fight them: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/howwefightpoverty.asp. Subscribe to our e-bulletin: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/feedback ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Peapod. The service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit: http://www.peapod.co.uk/cleanmail