Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet
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. WarmlyGrace
Grace This is a great initiative and I applaud the Facebook team for making themselves available for this discussion. 1.Firstly my concerns about zero rating certain sites. Foremost of which is obviously Facebook. I'm really curious to understand the process that FB uses to choose these websites. Shouldn't the community that is being exposed to this 'closed garden' be given a say on which websites they would like to access in this 'free program'? 2. In which countries and regions is Free Basics operational? Do the regulatory environments of the US, Canada, India and EU allow FB to operationalize Free Basics because I'm certain that Internet Penetration levels have not hit 100% in those regions. 3. What are your comments on the recent re-jigging of Internet.org after a spate of bad press especially in India? Internet access is critical for development but we need to be sure that it's not skewed against our own burgeoning Internet Economy. 4. How can FB improve its image beyond that of seeking eyeballs for its core business - Advertising? Ali Hussein Tel: +254 713 601113 On Dec 1, 2015 12:07 AM, "Grace Githaiga via kictanet" < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> 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
Grace
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Thank you Ebele and Akua for availing yourselves. Welcome to KICTANet. For me I would like to understand what Free basics by Facebook is all about. For example, what is the idea behind it- to introduce people to the Internet? to provide certain Internet services eg information for rural communities? Is it philanthropy by Facebook or a business model for a certain audience? It would also be good to hear about Free Basics vis a vis net neutrality. In the sense of the transition from Free basics to full Internet. Once again welcome to KICTANet. Regards, 2015-12-01 7:02 GMT+03:00 Ali Hussein via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>:
Grace
This is a great initiative and I applaud the Facebook team for making themselves available for this discussion.
1.Firstly my concerns about zero rating certain sites. Foremost of which is obviously Facebook. I'm really curious to understand the process that FB uses to choose these websites. Shouldn't the community that is being exposed to this 'closed garden' be given a say on which websites they would like to access in this 'free program'?
2. In which countries and regions is Free Basics operational? Do the regulatory environments of the US, Canada, India and EU allow FB to operationalize Free Basics because I'm certain that Internet Penetration levels have not hit 100% in those regions.
3. What are your comments on the recent re-jigging of Internet.org after a spate of bad press especially in India? Internet access is critical for development but we need to be sure that it's not skewed against our own burgeoning Internet Economy.
4. How can FB improve its image beyond that of seeking eyeballs for its core business - Advertising?
Ali Hussein Tel: +254 713 601113 On Dec 1, 2015 12:07 AM, "Grace Githaiga via kictanet" < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> 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
Grace
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u Nairobi Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu <http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu>
GG, This is great to bring on board the Facebook public policy crew. I have actually been looking for them! And with PS nominee for Broadcast and Telecommunications on board, FB answers to mine, Ali's and any other question may go a long way in charting the way forward on this important topic. My seven questions follow below: Anti-competitivebehaviour*Those against zero-rated content arguethat it is anti-competitive because it disadvantages content providers who arenot zero-rating their content: My questions follow: • 1.What is your response to this, is zero rating anti-competitive? • 2.How do you ‘chose’ /discriminate whose content would be free or part of theFreeBasics package? • 3.How do you ‘chose’/discriminate which operator to work with? PromotingUniversal Access/Statistics *Those supporting zero-rated contentargue that they provide access to those who would otherwise not have ANY access- which is a good thing. They further argue that Free Facebook Access is onlyintroductory internet with users graduating later into Full-blown internetaccess. My question follows: • 4.Can you share statistics of no of users on FreeBasics in Kenya? • 5.Can you then share statistics of the % of these FreeBasics users who thenmigrated onto the Full blown internet in Kenya? • 6.Are there other statistical and independent sources for the above data? Regulatoryperspectives *Zero-Rated content is part of the widerNet-neutrality debate with various regulatory options being suggested rangingfrom strict regulation where Operators are asked to treat data equally withoutblocking, throttling or interfering with it. Other economies preferself-regulations while the rest prefer No regulation(market decides approach). My question follows: • 7.What would be Facebook suggestion on regulatory aspects of Net-neutrality ingeneral and Zero-rating in particular? Look forward to the responses. -walu. From: Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> To: jwalu@yahoo.com Cc: Ali Hussein <ali@hussein.me.ke> Sent: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 7:02 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet Grace This is a great initiative and I applaud the Facebook team for making themselves available for this discussion.1.Firstly my concerns about zero rating certain sites. Foremost of which is obviously Facebook. I'm really curious to understand the process that FB uses to choose these websites. Shouldn't the community that is being exposed to this 'closed garden' be given a say on which websites they would like to access in this 'free program'?2. In which countries and regions is Free Basics operational? Do the regulatory environments of the US, Canada, India and EU allow FB to operationalize Free Basics because I'm certain that Internet Penetration levels have not hit 100% in those regions.3. What are your comments on the recent re-jigging of Internet.org after a spate of bad press especially in India? Internet access is critical for development but we need to be sure that it's not skewed against our own burgeoning Internet Economy. 4. How can FB improve its image beyond that of seeking eyeballs for its core business - Advertising? Ali Hussein Tel: +254 713 601113On Dec 1, 2015 12:07 AM, "Grace Githaiga via kictanet" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> 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. WarmlyGrace _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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
Grace
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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... Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad
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
Grace
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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...
*Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
Sent from my iPad
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
Grace *_______________________________________________* kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- *Regards,* *Wait**haka Ngigi* Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke
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...
*Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
Sent from my iPad
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
Grace *_______________________________________________* kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- *Regards,*
*Wait**haka Ngigi* Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke
-- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/
Ngigi The argument for and against Zero Rating and Net Neutrality isn't as simple as you have put it. Consider this:- If health care and education were left entirely to the vagaries of the Free Market inequality in the world would continue to thrive without any interventions. I am consistent in my argument that Internet Connectivity is the new imperative in the world. Give people access to inexpensive and affordable connectivity and you will see people's lives changing. Social Media itself is a case study of how politics can be turned on its head by people engaging openly without fear. I concede that Freemium models have rocketed business models into the stratosphere. What I'm against is for us to blindly consume content through 'free' connectivity without understanding the implications of it to:- 1. Our social membrane 2. Our nascent Internet businesses. You and I have the responsibility to point out these pitfalls and then let people choose to either consume or not these services that are 'free'. My other point is about the failure of governments in Africa to execute on the promises of the Universal Access Fund. If this is executed as it should we won't even be having this discussion. It would be a mute point. No one is picking on Facebook here. We are interrogating this issue as we should. We are exposing people who may not have thought it through. We don't have a Silver Bullet here. What we want is to create a platform for us to exhaustively discuss this issue. Ngigi, I'll end up by repeating my favorite market definition. There are 3 core components of a market - The buyer, the seller and the Product/Service. I'll add another one - The Platform. So if you are not the buyer, the seller or the platform what are you? As a last point to emphasize the above:- Below is Facebook's Average Revenue Per User:- http://www.statista.com/statistics/430862/facebook-annualized-advertising-ar... Regards Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad
On 2 Dec 2015, at 10:55 AM, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi@at.co.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...
Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com
"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
Sent from my iPad
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
Grace
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke
The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- Regards,
Waithaka Ngigi Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000 www.at.co.ke
Thanks Hussein. Kivuva is one of the new breed of gurus of IG. I will give the piece a go when I have some minutes. Waudo On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, at 10:43 AM, Ali Hussein 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...
Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375
Twitter: @AliHKassim
Skype: abu-jomo
LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
Blog: www.alyhussein.com[1]
"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi
Sent from my iPad
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
Grace
_________________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Links: 1. http://www.alyhussein.com/
We are having the most vibrant debate on Net Neutrality on the list in a long while. Thanks for all contributors, and GG for initiating this timely discussion. It's exciting to see many people interested with the zero rating debate. I'm sure Ebele and Akua from Facebook are fascinated by the dynamism of this group. Thank you Ebele and Akua for graciously joining this debate. I'll keep my opinions to myself and only ask questions. 1. Does Facebook support Net Neutrality? 2. Does Facebook's zero rating contravene net neutrality principle? 3. Will Facebook take "zero rated services" to areas without any connectivity infrastructure? 4. Will Facebook zero rated services reach all the people, even those with feature phones? Does fb have non app based Free basics?. What percentage of your target market has access to smart phones? 5. Which network operators does Facebook work with? Are all ISPs welcomed to the party? 6. Will free basics help reduce the cost of internet access? 7. Does Facebook pay ISPs to offer the "walled garden" to end users? 8. Why is Facebook running campaigns for "free basics" in a way to suggest that it is giving free access to the internet? Is FB and a few vanilla websites the Internet? 9. Facebook is considered affluent. Would it consider providing free internet to everyone? 10. Is free basics bridging the digital divide or creating confusion of those who cannot differentiate between Facebook and the Internet? Is Facebook keen that users from the developing world have access to the whole wealth of knowledge and information that the Internet provides? Sincerely, Mwendwa Kivuva
Hi Kivuva/Hussein. I need a little more enlightenment: 1. Is the "Zero-Rating" issue a debate or has it already been concluded that it is a bad thing? There is a hint that supporting it may leave one in not very good standing.. 2. According to Kivuva's well-written article "Zero rating infringes on fundamental human rights by denying users access to the Internet". Are other service providers, including those offering "full" Internet Access at a fee, stopped or hindered from offering their services when some companies offer the zero-rating? Can both forms operate at the same time? 3. In Q2 above I have "full" in quotes because in my use of Internet I am yet to come across a truly "neutral Internet" i.e. sometimes I try to access certain websites or services and you are unable as you get a message that you cannot access that site/service from your country, meaning many services providers already practise packet filtering. 4. Hussein gives certain characteristics of a "market" but probably leaves out a very critical one: Choice. The best market is the one where ALL service providers are given the opportunity to offer their services and consumers are left to choose. At the end of the day it is the consumers that decide which companies and services survive and which wilt along the way. Why choose for the consumer beforehand by barring certain services or business models? 5. A couple of years ago the cost and affordability of Internet access was a key ICT public policy issue. We said it was a major impediment to the spread of Internet use. How do we reconcile that with opposition to free (ok "free" as Hussein corrected me) services even if they are only offering a slice of what an open Internet offers. On a lighter note these days I am very happy with Facebook especially the Groups, as I get to know what is going on in the village. But I have been accessing them using a paid service perhaps I can save a few shillings if I got to know how to connect for free. I know Kivuva and Hussein have had extensive opportunity to study this area of Zero-Rating and also to listen o experts so I apologize in advance if my questions do not sound sophisticated. Kind Regards, Waudo On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, at 05:07 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva wrote:
We are having the most vibrant debate on Net Neutrality on the list in a long while. Thanks for all contributors, and GG for initiating this timely discussion. It's exciting to see many people interested with the zero rating debate. I'm sure Ebele and Akua from Facebook are fascinated by the dynamism of this group. Thank you Ebele and Akua for graciously joining this debate.
I'll keep my opinions to myself and only ask questions.
1. Does Facebook support Net Neutrality?
2. Does Facebook's zero rating contravene net neutrality principle?
3. Will Facebook take "zero rated services" to areas without any connectivity infrastructure?
4. Will Facebook zero rated services reach all the people, even those with feature phones? Does fb have non app based Free basics?. What percentage of your target market has access to smart phones?
5. Which network operators does Facebook work with? Are all ISPs welcomed to the party?
6. Will free basics help reduce the cost of internet access?
7. Does Facebook pay ISPs to offer the "walled garden" to end users?
8. Why is Facebook running campaigns for "free basics" in a way to suggest that it is giving free access to the internet? Is FB and a few vanilla websites the Internet?
9. Facebook is considered affluent. Would it consider providing free internet to everyone?
10. Is free basics bridging the digital divide or creating confusion of those who cannot differentiate between Facebook and the Internet? Is Facebook keen that users from the developing world have access to the whole wealth of knowledge and information that the Internet provides?
Sincerely,
Mwendwa Kivuva
Waudo My response against your comments/questions. Ali Hussein Principal Hussein & Associates +254 0713 601113 / 0770906375 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim Blog: www.alyhussein.com "Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought". ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi Sent from my iPad
On 2 Dec 2015, at 6:48 PM, waudo siganga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Hi Kivuva/Hussein. I need a little more enlightenment:
1. Is the "Zero-Rating" issue a debate or has it already been concluded that it is a bad thing? There is a hint that supporting it may leave one in not very good standing.. There are pros and cons to this. The subject hasn't really been exhausted and I suspect it won't for a while. 2. According to Kivuva's well-written article "Zero rating infringes on fundamental human rights by denying users access to the Internet". Are other service providers, including those offering "full" Internet Access at a fee, stopped or hindered from offering their services when some companies offer the zero-rating? Can both forms operate at the same time? Zero rating from my point of view presumes that your choices are limited within the walled garden. The right question to ask is what is the Regulator's position on this. The thing that disturbs me the most about zero rating is that we are potentially shooting ourselves in the foot because we can get addicted to this 'free' Internet and find ourselves exploring within a closed loop. The point is that not everyone is equal and not everyone can afford to zero rate.. 3. In Q2 above I have "full" in quotes because in my use of Internet I am yet to come across a truly "neutral Internet" i.e. sometimes I try to access certain websites or services and you are unable as you get a message that you cannot access that site/service from your country, meaning many services providers already practise packet filtering. Geo-Fencing and zero rating are two different issues...in my humble opinion. 4. Hussein gives certain characteristics of a "market" but probably leaves out a very critical one: Choice. The best market is the one where ALL service providers are given the opportunity to offer their services and consumers are left to choose. At the end of the day it is the consumers that decide which companies and services survive and which wilt along the way. Why choose for the consumer beforehand by barring certain services or business models? Choice was already assumed...:-) Besides, if you are a product and you don't know you are a product what choice is there to make? You are being sold without knowing you are being sold..:-) 5. A couple of years ago the cost and affordability of Internet access was a key ICT public policy issue. We said it was a major impediment to the spread of Internet use. How do we reconcile that with opposition to free (ok "free" as Hussein corrected me) services even if they are only offering a slice of what an open Internet offers. Access is still an issue. If you consider real broadband penetration in the country is less than 5%. We reconcile this opposition by asking the Universal Access Fund and NOFBI to get their act together..
On a lighter note these days I am very happy with Facebook especially the Groups, as I get to know what is going on in the village. But I have been accessing them using a paid service perhaps I can save a few shillings if I got to know how to connect for free. Waudo, again..free is over rated..:-)
I know Kivuva and Hussein have had extensive opportunity to study this area of Zero-Rating and also to listen o experts so I apologize in advance if my questions do not sound sophisticated. Waudo, Rome wasn't built in a day..the fact that you are engaged in this discourse is great. Our work is well on its way to be done. All we want is for as many people as possible to understand that choices have consequences. :-)
Kind Regards, Waudo
On Wed, Dec 2, 2015, at 05:07 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva wrote: We are having the most vibrant debate on Net Neutrality on the list in a long while. Thanks for all contributors, and GG for initiating this timely discussion. It's exciting to see many people interested with the zero rating debate. I'm sure Ebele and Akua from Facebook are fascinated by the dynamism of this group. Thank you Ebele and Akua for graciously joining this debate.
I'll keep my opinions to myself and only ask questions.
1. Does Facebook support Net Neutrality?
2. Does Facebook's zero rating contravene net neutrality principle?
3. Will Facebook take "zero rated services" to areas without any connectivity infrastructure?
4. Will Facebook zero rated services reach all the people, even those with feature phones? Does fb have non app based Free basics?. What percentage of your target market has access to smart phones?
5. Which network operators does Facebook work with? Are all ISPs welcomed to the party?
6. Will free basics help reduce the cost of internet access?
7. Does Facebook pay ISPs to offer the "walled garden" to end users?
8. Why is Facebook running campaigns for "free basics" in a way to suggest that it is giving free access to the internet? Is FB and a few vanilla websites the Internet?
9. Facebook is considered affluent. Would it consider providing free internet to everyone?
10. Is free basics bridging the digital divide or creating confusion of those who cannot differentiate between Facebook and the Internet? Is Facebook keen that users from the developing world have access to the whole wealth of knowledge and information that the Internet provides?
Sincerely,
Mwendwa Kivuva
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Dear All! **Warning-this is very, very long*** First things first-huge thanks to Madam Githaiga for extending the invitation to this community! Akua and I are so delighted to be a part of it, and we look forward to continuing to engage and learn from you on a whole array of issues of mutual interest-we see this as only the beginning of many, many exchanges. As African women, we are both personally passionate about the potential technology has to empower our countries and our Continent. THANK YOU ALL for such engaged and challenging questions-please do keep them coming. We very much appreciate being part of a conversation with people who share that passion, and we welcome the opportunity to learn from challenging feedback. Regarding the challenge and opportunity of universal access-here are some overarching thoughts. Universal and affordable access to the Internet is one of the most important challenges/opportunities of our time. This group is well aware of the exponential impact of technology, and this group is also aware that the digital divide is most acute across Africa. There are many, many studies demonstrating this, and the ITU’s report<http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/publications/misr2015/MISR2015-ES-E.pdf> this past week is just the latest-TL;DR- Countries across Africa are falling far, far behind even our peers in the developing world. The implications of this backwards progress, especially as other countries are accelerating, are potentially catastrophic. The issue of access is one that no one entity can hope to solve alone. It requires governments, industry, civil society, ALL to contribute, and it also demands a multiplicity of creative solutions. Above all, those of us who are partnering to address this issue must do so with humility-no one has all of the answers. At Facebook, we are willing to try, make mistakes, learn from them, and pay close attention to great feedback. Finally-Facebook is absolutely in committed<https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102391391204651> to universal, affordable access to the FULL Internet for everyone. We believe it is essential to achieving humanity’s global goals, and indispensable for the exercise of basic human rights. So! That said, we thought it would be useful to start with a few facts about Internet.org and Free Basics, so that there is a shared understanding of what they are. Internet.org<http://internet.org/> is an umbrella for a suite of continuously evolving products and approaches, all focused on the issue of universal, affordable access. It can be roughly described as having three primary areas: Policy Engagement, Connectivity & Infrastructure, and Free Basics, all targeted at different barriers to Internet access. Policy engagement is working with policy makers and influencers around the world to identify specific policy barriers to universal, affordable access (to ALL of the Internet), and partnering to create regulatory environments that bring down those barriers. For example, Facebook is a founding member of the Alliance for an Affordable Internet<http://a4ai.org/> (and I’m so pleased to be joining the Advisory Board in 2016!) a global research and policy advocacy coalition working to make broadband affordable for all. Examples of policy barriers/opportunities include right of way taxes, spectrum policy, evidence based policy making, infrastructure sharing, and they also include policy issues related to third party liability and free expression, all policy issues we engage on individually and collectively. Our connectivity and infrastructure projects are some of the most exciting work that Akua and I have the privilege of supporting. This includes the pioneering work of our Connectivity Lab-they are the team behind Aquila<http://fortune.com/2015/07/30/facebook-solar-power-plane-aquila/>, the solar powered unmanned aircraft, which is a bid to use advanced technology to bring access to the full Internet to remote regions, where fiber and other terrestrial connectivity tools aren’t available or aren’t cost effective for infrastructure providers to build. It also includes our Express WiFi project, for which we are partnering with local carriers, Internet service providers, community exchanges, and local entrepreneurs to bring affordable Internet access (to the full Internet) to urban and peri-urban areas. We’re currently live in India, and we are launching in multiple countries across Africa in 2016-the team is eager for partnership recommendations, so if anyone is interested in more detail and/or has partnership recommendations, please do contact us. Our connectivity initiatives also include our recently announced partnership with Eutelsat, in which we are investing in satellite backhaul and partnering with local ISPs and providers to bring down their backhaul costs, with the goal of enabling them to pass the savings on to the end consumer and offer a much lower priced access package. We are also incubating multiple projects related to infrastructure connectivity, innovative/low-cost rural connectivity pilots, and including projects related to addressing electricity as a barrier to access. All of these many projects are focused on universal, affordable access to the entire Internet. Some are projects with a shorter horizon for success, and others, like Aquila and our policy engagement, are long-term bets on enabling the kind of access that is robust enough to empower people to be creators, not just passive consumers. The final category is Free Basics. Free Basics was developed to address a very specific barrier to Internet access—we know from the research<http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GSMA_Digital-Inclusion-Report_Web_Singles_2.pdf> that affordability and awareness are key barriers. This group is no doubt aware of the many, many reports that have found that many people do not use the Internet because they don’t know if or how it can be useful to them. Free Basics is meant to be a bridge to the Internet for those people-to offer them a taste of the Internet, that removes the risk associated with cost, and that will bring them online. It is not meant to be a holistic or standalone solution to the access issue. It is also not meant to be an endpoint for users. Facebook pays operators nothing for offering Free Basics. As such, given that the operators are only able to pay for the program if users graduate to the full, paid Internet, Free Basics is only sustainable if people leave the “starter” Internet. Some facts about Free Basics- · Facebook partners with mobile operators in markets to offer Free Basics. · Free Basics is offered to ALL operators in markets-we want as many new users on the Internet, so it is in our interest to have as many operators as possible. · Facebook does not pay operators anything to offer Free Basics-Operators themselves bear the cost of offering Free Basics. · Free Basics includes Facebook and a suite other sites that evolves based upon location, including those related to maternal health, education, news, job search sites, general information (i.e., Wikipedia), sports. · Based upon feedback, Facebook has launched Platform<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org>, (which was actually launched in Nairobi, this past summer, at iHub) which allows any developer anywhere in the world to submit their site to be included in Free Basics. So long as the site meets the necessary participation guidelines<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org/participation-guidelines> and technical requirements<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org/platform-technical-guidelines>, the site is included in Free Basics. We urge any/all of you who are creators and makers to have a look at Platform and submit your content. If you have any questions or recommendations, please let us know, as we would be delighted to connect you to our EMEA lead on content partnerships. He’s Nigerian (woot-WESTSIDE!!), not Kenyan, but I’m sure you won’t hold that against him. · Free Basics is optimized for feature phones as well as smartphones And now, to the questions! Zero Rating, Generally It’s important to understand that there are many, many different forms of zero-rating, so the better question is to identify what features support competition. For those interested in learning more about the many different flavors of zero rating, please see this excellent report<http://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MeasuringImpactsofMobileDataServices_ResearchBrief1.pdf> by the Alliance For An Affordable Internet. Essentially, however, research<http://www.researchictafrica.net/docs/Facebook%20zerorating%20Final_Web.pdf> shows that certain kinds of zero-rating are actually pro competitive, in that zero-rating allows market entrants to challenge incumbents, which supports both competition and user choice. Further, the fact that Facebook does not pay operators to carry Free Basics, and does not require exclusivity undercuts the anti-competition claim. Our experience bears this out-in the majority of our markets, the operators who have been the first Free Basics adopters have been challengers-see below for a list, but please note that it is as of November 12. We also plan to start including this information on our site, so keep a lookout for it in future!). In Kenya, for example, while we remain hopeful that Safaricom will partner, Airtel, with a fraction of Safaricom’s market share, is our partner. I would, however, be very interested to see research that explicitly finds that this kind of zero-rating is anti-competitive, so those who have it, please do pass it along. One last note on zero-rating-it really seems that we should be advocating for evidence-based policy making, that looks at both the costs and benefits, within the relevant economic environment, backed by actual research. None of the parade of potential horribles ascribed to zero-rating is backed by actual market evidence, and the notion of narrowing consumer choice and denying access by government fiat, with no evidence whatsoever, seems very strange. In general, especially with technology, an enabling environment calls for regulators to apply bans sparingly, so as not to crush innovation-isn’t that the environment for which this group would advocate? Statistics on Free Basics There were a number of questions about statistics of Free Basics users in Kenya-I don’t actually have that, but I’m inquiring. We do know that globally, over half of Free Basics users migrate to the paid Internet within 30 days. I think the other point to remember is that from the operator’s point of view, since they bear the full cost of subsidizing Free Basics, unless users do eventually migrate to the full/paid Internet, Free Basics is not economically sustainable for operators. With regard to other sources, the operators themselves hold all of the data about user behavior on and off Facebook, and I really would encourage you to bring them into all of these conversations about zero-rating. I would also encourage those of you who are researchers to join organizations like Research ICT Africa, Alliance for An Affordable Internet and others in doing high quality research in market. Graduating from Free Basics With regard to the questions of whether users will be unable to make their way out of Free Basics in order to access the wider Internet, please see below for screen shots demonstrating what it looks like when users want to visit the wider web. And, I must admit that I find this argument incredibly condescending. There are certainly literacy barriers to access, but those are not limited to Free Basics. Both of my parents were born in villages in the East of Nigeria. Both of them, without benefit of the Internet, or Facebook or Google Maps or even land lines managed to get themselves thousands of miles away, alone, to the UK and to the US, as mere teenagers, to get their university educations. I am only one generation removed from the village. So the notion that a person would be unable to learn how find his or her way out of a program on their phone just because they happen to live in a place without reliable Internet access, or because they live in a village seems ludicrous and the epitome of paternalistic thinking. In terms of the questions regarding choice of sites-these are excellent questions, and this is why we launched Platform<http://internet.org/>, so that content creators can submit sites themselves. We are also very open to feedback on sites or kinds of sites that should be included, so please do let us know so that we can connect you with our content partnerships lead. Where has Free Basics launched Regarding which countries have launched Free Basics, I don’t have an updated list, but my list as of October (for countries outside of my region) is- Colombia, Guatemala, Bolivia, Panama, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines (with 2 operators), Indonesia, Peru, with many more planned. With regard to whether we would launch Free Basics in Europe or the US-our focus is in countries and regions where Internet access is a critical problem. There are a very few in the EU, but as the ITU study above (and countless other studies before) have shown, the digital divide is an absolute crisis across Africa and in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, with many countries at below 20% or even 5% Internet penetration. We are focusing our efforts in those parts of the world, for what we think are obvious reasons-that’s where it will have the most impact. Responding to Criticism To the question about why Facebook “rejigg[ed]” Free Basics after criticism-I think that is an excellent example of how we are very interested in constructive feedback, and that we are flexible enough to move fast and incorporate it into new iterations of our products. That’s one of the reasons I so love working here. Seeking Eyeballs (?) There was a question about how FB can improve its image beyond that of seeking eyeballs—I’m not sure I understand that question or the link to zero rating, but! To the extent that the questioner has a point of view or recommendations related to this question, we are delighted to hear them! Mr. Kivuvu Article A couple of people linked to this article written by Mr. Mwendwa Kivuva, whom I had the pleasure of seeing at IGF last month. It’s really fantastic to see so much more engagement on ICT policy issues in the region, and we look forward to being part of a community of people who are asking the hard questions. That said, the article makes some assertions that are unsupported by fact. I’ve addressed many of the points above, but there are few that remain, which I will discuss below. Mr. Kivuvu states “Facebook was accused of flying powerful Cabinet Ministers from developing countries to expensive resorts in California to influence them allow zero rated service in their countries. “ This is categorically false, and I would be grateful for any evidence at all to be presented showing this occurred, as this is absolutely illegal and in the US, at least, an incredibly serious violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. So, if this claim is being made, please back it up with specific evidence so that I can report it. Mr. Kivuvu states “Companies running zero rated services are crafty and just want to add up number of users to their platforms to increase their advertisement revenue streams, therefore increase their companies' valuation and appease their shareholders.” Please note that Facebook has deliberately banned advertising from Free Basics, so that Facebook does not derive any revenue whatsoever from any users of Free Basics. Mr. Kivuvu states “Zero rating is not tolerated in progressive countries with strong policies. Ask yourself why.” This is incorrect. Zero rating is explicitly exempted from net neutrality regimes in many progressive countries, including the US. While there are certainly countries that have decided against zero-rating, there are many more countries that see zero-rating as a tool that has real market benefits, which accrue when zero-rating is deployed in a consumer-centric way that creates an enabling environment. Mr. Kivuvu states “Zero rating infringes on fundamental human rights by denying users access to the Internet. It may be a conspiracy to keep developing countries in the darkness of the information age.” Mr. Kivuvu states, “An interesting fact is; in communities where zero rated services were the norm, the users did not know the difference between the Internet and Facebook.” This is not actually a fact. There are oft-quoted studies<http://lirneasia.net/2012/05/facebook-internet/> of people in emerging markets saying that they do not access the Internet, but that they DO access Facebook (or SMS services). I do think this is a very interesting data point about the ubiquity of social media and how people define the Internet, as well as the fact that for people in both emerging and mature markets, social media is the primary driver for Internet adoption but this is a) not necessarily indicative of now knowing the difference between the Internet and Facebook, and, most crucially, b) not in any way connected to zero-rating or Free Basics, as none of the studies were of Free Basics users, given that most of the studies predated the existence of Free Basics. There is certainly a lively debate over the utility of the many forms of zero-rating. But offering people with no Internet access a bridge to full Internet access, while working on a multitude of programs all aimed at universal access to the full Internet is “denying users access to the Internet” is exactly the opposite of what is being claimed. It is also very important to note that Free Basics is a choice for consumers. They have exactly the same ability to access the Internet that they have without Free Basics; Free Basics only adds the option of a taste of the Internet, to get them excited about the full thing, when they can afford it. Example of Interstitial that prompts users when they try to access data outside of the Free Basics paywall: [cid:722E825D-C227-455D-9E0D-AE692D0F9D7A] Africa Free Basics Launches, as of November 12, 2015 Mozambique Mcel Mozambique Seychelles Airtel Seychelles Egypt Etisalat Egypt Rwanda Airtel Rwanda Liberia Cellcom Liberia Congo Democratic Republic of Tigo (Millicom) DR Congo South Africa Cell C South Africa Angola Movicel Angola Senegal Tigo (Millicom) Senegal Malawi Airtel Malawi Malawi Telekom Networks Malawi Zambia Airtel Zambia Ghana Airtel Ghana Kenya Airtel Kenya Tanzania Tigo Tanzania [Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01C8F888.8FCCE630] Ebele Okobi | Head of Public Policy, Africa m. +44 (0) 771 156 1315 2 Stephen St | London | W1T 1AN ebeleokobi@fb.com<mailto:ebeleokobi@fb.com> From: kictanet <kictanet-bounces+ebeleokobi=fb.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet-bounces+ebeleokobi=fb.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> on behalf of Grace Githaiga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Reply-To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Date: Monday, November 30, 2015 at 9:07 PM To: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi@fb.com<mailto:ebeleokobi@fb.com>> Cc: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com<mailto:ggithaiga@hotmail.com>> Subject: [kictanet] Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet 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/-/620/2975634/-/f6hgvx/-/index.html<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nation.co.ke_oped_blogs_free-2Dinternet-2Dfreedom-2Dcreate_-2D_620_2975634_-2D_f6hgvx_-2D_index.html&d=CwMFAw&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=7NzfHtNVHC-SCC3tykKjEqKI_OKf3NbqHZCb414q6go&s=7IP5PLfCNxE0Qb1mz8EoCzEMDWugoP6smIE2PqODbAs&e=> and another by our own Mwendwa Kivuva http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_the_developing_world/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.circleid.com_posts_20151124-5Fzero-5Frating-5Fa-5Fpoisoned-5Fchalice-5Ffor-5Fthe-5Fdeveloping-5Fworld_&d=CwMFAw&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=7NzfHtNVHC-SCC3tykKjEqKI_OKf3NbqHZCb414q6go&s=VDulPJA9EwQqSitPwlCU0keGy2xznFCr3rRVVpX1E8w&e=> 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 Grace
Hi Ebele, As an IT professional living in a rural area with limited connectivity, and as a husband, father, and grandfather - and having seen the excellent questions and outstanding response - please allow me to give my thoughts and opinions: 1) Personally, I have no interest whatsoever in using free basics - I need full internet access, hence connectivity is my main issue. 2) My wife, son, and grandchildren are all primarily facebook users and are all excited to get access for free - *but* wish safaricom were also a partner as we only get a reasonable safaricom signal here. 3) All my neighbours (over the age of 18 !) have phones - but I estimate only about 5% have smartphones. About 10% of households have basic solar for lighting and phone charging. All are on safaricom. "mains" electricity is yet to reach our area (although it is on its way!). SO... I think free basics is a good idea, but there are many other challenges to getting rural users connected. (off-topic) Clean drinking water, basic sanitation, fuel-efficient cooking stoves with chimneys, and better rural roads are the priorities, as I see it! Best wishes, Tony On 03/12/2015, Ebele Okobi via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Dear All!
**Warning-this is very, very long***
First things first-huge thanks to Madam Githaiga for extending the invitation to this community! Akua and I are so delighted to be a part of it, and we look forward to continuing to engage and learn from you on a whole array of issues of mutual interest-we see this as only the beginning of many, many exchanges. As African women, we are both personally passionate about the potential technology has to empower our countries and our Continent.
THANK YOU ALL for such engaged and challenging questions-please do keep them coming. We very much appreciate being part of a conversation with people who share that passion, and we welcome the opportunity to learn from challenging feedback.
Regarding the challenge and opportunity of universal access-here are some overarching thoughts. Universal and affordable access to the Internet is one of the most important challenges/opportunities of our time. This group is well aware of the exponential impact of technology, and this group is also aware that the digital divide is most acute across Africa. There are many, many studies demonstrating this, and the ITU’s report<http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/publications/misr2015/MISR2015-ES-E.pdf> this past week is just the latest-TL;DR- Countries across Africa are falling far, far behind even our peers in the developing world. The implications of this backwards progress, especially as other countries are accelerating, are potentially catastrophic.
The issue of access is one that no one entity can hope to solve alone. It requires governments, industry, civil society, ALL to contribute, and it also demands a multiplicity of creative solutions. Above all, those of us who are partnering to address this issue must do so with humility-no one has all of the answers. At Facebook, we are willing to try, make mistakes, learn from them, and pay close attention to great feedback.
Finally-Facebook is absolutely in committed<https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102391391204651> to universal, affordable access to the FULL Internet for everyone. We believe it is essential to achieving humanity’s global goals, and indispensable for the exercise of basic human rights.
So! That said, we thought it would be useful to start with a few facts about Internet.org and Free Basics, so that there is a shared understanding of what they are.
Internet.org<http://internet.org/> is an umbrella for a suite of continuously evolving products and approaches, all focused on the issue of universal, affordable access. It can be roughly described as having three primary areas: Policy Engagement, Connectivity & Infrastructure, and Free Basics, all targeted at different barriers to Internet access.
Policy engagement is working with policy makers and influencers around the world to identify specific policy barriers to universal, affordable access (to ALL of the Internet), and partnering to create regulatory environments that bring down those barriers. For example, Facebook is a founding member of the Alliance for an Affordable Internet<http://a4ai.org/> (and I’m so pleased to be joining the Advisory Board in 2016!) a global research and policy advocacy coalition working to make broadband affordable for all. Examples of policy barriers/opportunities include right of way taxes, spectrum policy, evidence based policy making, infrastructure sharing, and they also include policy issues related to third party liability and free expression, all policy issues we engage on individually and collectively.
Our connectivity and infrastructure projects are some of the most exciting work that Akua and I have the privilege of supporting.
This includes the pioneering work of our Connectivity Lab-they are the team behind Aquila<http://fortune.com/2015/07/30/facebook-solar-power-plane-aquila/>, the solar powered unmanned aircraft, which is a bid to use advanced technology to bring access to the full Internet to remote regions, where fiber and other terrestrial connectivity tools aren’t available or aren’t cost effective for infrastructure providers to build. It also includes our Express WiFi project, for which we are partnering with local carriers, Internet service providers, community exchanges, and local entrepreneurs to bring affordable Internet access (to the full Internet) to urban and peri-urban areas. We’re currently live in India, and we are launching in multiple countries across Africa in 2016-the team is eager for partnership recommendations, so if anyone is interested in more detail and/or has partnership recommendations, please do contact us. Our connectivity initiatives also include our recently announced partnership with Eutelsat, in which we are investing in satellite backhaul and partnering with local ISPs and providers to bring down their backhaul costs, with the goal of enabling them to pass the savings on to the end consumer and offer a much lower priced access package. We are also incubating multiple projects related to infrastructure connectivity, innovative/low-cost rural connectivity pilots, and including projects related to addressing electricity as a barrier to access. All of these many projects are focused on universal, affordable access to the entire Internet. Some are projects with a shorter horizon for success, and others, like Aquila and our policy engagement, are long-term bets on enabling the kind of access that is robust enough to empower people to be creators, not just passive consumers.
The final category is Free Basics. Free Basics was developed to address a very specific barrier to Internet access—we know from the research<http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/GSMA_Digital-Inclusion-Report_Web_Singles_2.pdf> that affordability and awareness are key barriers. This group is no doubt aware of the many, many reports that have found that many people do not use the Internet because they don’t know if or how it can be useful to them. Free Basics is meant to be a bridge to the Internet for those people-to offer them a taste of the Internet, that removes the risk associated with cost, and that will bring them online. It is not meant to be a holistic or standalone solution to the access issue. It is also not meant to be an endpoint for users. Facebook pays operators nothing for offering Free Basics. As such, given that the operators are only able to pay for the program if users graduate to the full, paid Internet, Free Basics is only sustainable if people leave the “starter” Internet.
Some facts about Free Basics-
· Facebook partners with mobile operators in markets to offer Free Basics.
· Free Basics is offered to ALL operators in markets-we want as many new users on the Internet, so it is in our interest to have as many operators as possible.
· Facebook does not pay operators anything to offer Free Basics-Operators themselves bear the cost of offering Free Basics.
· Free Basics includes Facebook and a suite other sites that evolves based upon location, including those related to maternal health, education, news, job search sites, general information (i.e., Wikipedia), sports.
· Based upon feedback, Facebook has launched Platform<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org>, (which was actually launched in Nairobi, this past summer, at iHub) which allows any developer anywhere in the world to submit their site to be included in Free Basics. So long as the site meets the necessary participation guidelines<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org/participation-guidelines> and technical requirements<https://developers.facebook.com/docs/internet-org/platform-technical-guidelines>, the site is included in Free Basics. We urge any/all of you who are creators and makers to have a look at Platform and submit your content. If you have any questions or recommendations, please let us know, as we would be delighted to connect you to our EMEA lead on content partnerships. He’s Nigerian (woot-WESTSIDE!!), not Kenyan, but I’m sure you won’t hold that against him.
· Free Basics is optimized for feature phones as well as smartphones
And now, to the questions!
Zero Rating, Generally It’s important to understand that there are many, many different forms of zero-rating, so the better question is to identify what features support competition. For those interested in learning more about the many different flavors of zero rating, please see this excellent report<http://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MeasuringImpactsofMobileDataServices_ResearchBrief1.pdf> by the Alliance For An Affordable Internet. Essentially, however, research<http://www.researchictafrica.net/docs/Facebook%20zerorating%20Final_Web.pdf> shows that certain kinds of zero-rating are actually pro competitive, in that zero-rating allows market entrants to challenge incumbents, which supports both competition and user choice. Further, the fact that Facebook does not pay operators to carry Free Basics, and does not require exclusivity undercuts the anti-competition claim. Our experience bears this out-in the majority of our markets, the operators who have been the first Free Basics adopters have been challengers-see below for a list, but please note that it is as of November 12. We also plan to start including this information on our site, so keep a lookout for it in future!). In Kenya, for example, while we remain hopeful that Safaricom will partner, Airtel, with a fraction of Safaricom’s market share, is our partner. I would, however, be very interested to see research that explicitly finds that this kind of zero-rating is anti-competitive, so those who have it, please do pass it along.
One last note on zero-rating-it really seems that we should be advocating for evidence-based policy making, that looks at both the costs and benefits, within the relevant economic environment, backed by actual research. None of the parade of potential horribles ascribed to zero-rating is backed by actual market evidence, and the notion of narrowing consumer choice and denying access by government fiat, with no evidence whatsoever, seems very strange. In general, especially with technology, an enabling environment calls for regulators to apply bans sparingly, so as not to crush innovation-isn’t that the environment for which this group would advocate?
Statistics on Free Basics There were a number of questions about statistics of Free Basics users in Kenya-I don’t actually have that, but I’m inquiring. We do know that globally, over half of Free Basics users migrate to the paid Internet within 30 days. I think the other point to remember is that from the operator’s point of view, since they bear the full cost of subsidizing Free Basics, unless users do eventually migrate to the full/paid Internet, Free Basics is not economically sustainable for operators. With regard to other sources, the operators themselves hold all of the data about user behavior on and off Facebook, and I really would encourage you to bring them into all of these conversations about zero-rating. I would also encourage those of you who are researchers to join organizations like Research ICT Africa, Alliance for An Affordable Internet and others in doing high quality research in market.
Graduating from Free Basics With regard to the questions of whether users will be unable to make their way out of Free Basics in order to access the wider Internet, please see below for screen shots demonstrating what it looks like when users want to visit the wider web. And, I must admit that I find this argument incredibly condescending. There are certainly literacy barriers to access, but those are not limited to Free Basics. Both of my parents were born in villages in the East of Nigeria. Both of them, without benefit of the Internet, or Facebook or Google Maps or even land lines managed to get themselves thousands of miles away, alone, to the UK and to the US, as mere teenagers, to get their university educations. I am only one generation removed from the village. So the notion that a person would be unable to learn how find his or her way out of a program on their phone just because they happen to live in a place without reliable Internet access, or because they live in a village seems ludicrous and the epitome of paternalistic thinking.
In terms of the questions regarding choice of sites-these are excellent questions, and this is why we launched Platform<http://internet.org/>, so that content creators can submit sites themselves. We are also very open to feedback on sites or kinds of sites that should be included, so please do let us know so that we can connect you with our content partnerships lead.
Where has Free Basics launched Regarding which countries have launched Free Basics, I don’t have an updated list, but my list as of October (for countries outside of my region) is- Colombia, Guatemala, Bolivia, Panama, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines (with 2 operators), Indonesia, Peru, with many more planned.
With regard to whether we would launch Free Basics in Europe or the US-our focus is in countries and regions where Internet access is a critical problem. There are a very few in the EU, but as the ITU study above (and countless other studies before) have shown, the digital divide is an absolute crisis across Africa and in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, with many countries at below 20% or even 5% Internet penetration. We are focusing our efforts in those parts of the world, for what we think are obvious reasons-that’s where it will have the most impact.
Responding to Criticism To the question about why Facebook “rejigg[ed]” Free Basics after criticism-I think that is an excellent example of how we are very interested in constructive feedback, and that we are flexible enough to move fast and incorporate it into new iterations of our products. That’s one of the reasons I so love working here.
Seeking Eyeballs (?) There was a question about how FB can improve its image beyond that of seeking eyeballs—I’m not sure I understand that question or the link to zero rating, but! To the extent that the questioner has a point of view or recommendations related to this question, we are delighted to hear them!
Mr. Kivuvu Article A couple of people linked to this article written by Mr. Mwendwa Kivuva, whom I had the pleasure of seeing at IGF last month. It’s really fantastic to see so much more engagement on ICT policy issues in the region, and we look forward to being part of a community of people who are asking the hard questions. That said, the article makes some assertions that are unsupported by fact. I’ve addressed many of the points above, but there are few that remain, which I will discuss below.
Mr. Kivuvu states “Facebook was accused of flying powerful Cabinet Ministers from developing countries to expensive resorts in California to influence them allow zero rated service in their countries. “
This is categorically false, and I would be grateful for any evidence at all to be presented showing this occurred, as this is absolutely illegal and in the US, at least, an incredibly serious violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. So, if this claim is being made, please back it up with specific evidence so that I can report it.
Mr. Kivuvu states “Companies running zero rated services are crafty and just want to add up number of users to their platforms to increase their advertisement revenue streams, therefore increase their companies' valuation and appease their shareholders.”
Please note that Facebook has deliberately banned advertising from Free Basics, so that Facebook does not derive any revenue whatsoever from any users of Free Basics.
Mr. Kivuvu states “Zero rating is not tolerated in progressive countries with strong policies. Ask yourself why.”
This is incorrect. Zero rating is explicitly exempted from net neutrality regimes in many progressive countries, including the US. While there are certainly countries that have decided against zero-rating, there are many more countries that see zero-rating as a tool that has real market benefits, which accrue when zero-rating is deployed in a consumer-centric way that creates an enabling environment.
Mr. Kivuvu states “Zero rating infringes on fundamental human rights by denying users access to the Internet. It may be a conspiracy to keep developing countries in the darkness of the information age.”
Mr. Kivuvu states, “An interesting fact is; in communities where zero rated services were the norm, the users did not know the difference between the Internet and Facebook.”
This is not actually a fact. There are oft-quoted studies<http://lirneasia.net/2012/05/facebook-internet/> of people in emerging markets saying that they do not access the Internet, but that they DO access Facebook (or SMS services). I do think this is a very interesting data point about the ubiquity of social media and how people define the Internet, as well as the fact that for people in both emerging and mature markets, social media is the primary driver for Internet adoption but this is a) not necessarily indicative of now knowing the difference between the Internet and Facebook, and, most crucially, b) not in any way connected to zero-rating or Free Basics, as none of the studies were of Free Basics users, given that most of the studies predated the existence of Free Basics.
There is certainly a lively debate over the utility of the many forms of zero-rating. But offering people with no Internet access a bridge to full Internet access, while working on a multitude of programs all aimed at universal access to the full Internet is “denying users access to the Internet” is exactly the opposite of what is being claimed. It is also very important to note that Free Basics is a choice for consumers. They have exactly the same ability to access the Internet that they have without Free Basics; Free Basics only adds the option of a taste of the Internet, to get them excited about the full thing, when they can afford it.
Example of Interstitial that prompts users when they try to access data outside of the Free Basics paywall:
[cid:722E825D-C227-455D-9E0D-AE692D0F9D7A]
Africa Free Basics Launches, as of November 12, 2015 Mozambique Mcel Mozambique
Seychelles Airtel Seychelles
Egypt Etisalat Egypt
Rwanda Airtel Rwanda
Liberia Cellcom Liberia
Congo Democratic Republic of Tigo (Millicom) DR Congo
South Africa Cell C South Africa
Angola Movicel Angola
Senegal Tigo (Millicom) Senegal
Malawi Airtel Malawi
Malawi Telekom Networks Malawi
Zambia Airtel Zambia
Ghana Airtel Ghana
Kenya Airtel Kenya
Tanzania Tigo Tanzania [Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01C8F888.8FCCE630]
Ebele Okobi | Head of Public Policy, Africa m. +44 (0) 771 156 1315 2 Stephen St | London | W1T 1AN ebeleokobi@fb.com<mailto:ebeleokobi@fb.com>
From: kictanet <kictanet-bounces+ebeleokobi=fb.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet-bounces+ebeleokobi=fb.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> on behalf of Grace Githaiga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Reply-To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>> Date: Monday, November 30, 2015 at 9:07 PM To: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi@fb.com<mailto:ebeleokobi@fb.com>> Cc: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga@hotmail.com<mailto:ggithaiga@hotmail.com>> Subject: [kictanet] Introducing Facebook Africa Public Policy Team to KICTANet
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/-/620/2975634/-/f6hgvx/-/index.html<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nation.co.ke_oped_blogs_free-2Dinternet-2Dfreedom-2Dcreate_-2D_620_2975634_-2D_f6hgvx_-2D_index.html&d=CwMFAw&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=7NzfHtNVHC-SCC3tykKjEqKI_OKf3NbqHZCb414q6go&s=7IP5PLfCNxE0Qb1mz8EoCzEMDWugoP6smIE2PqODbAs&e=> and another by our own Mwendwa Kivuva http://www.circleid.com/posts/20151124_zero_rating_a_poisoned_chalice_for_the_developing_world/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.circleid.com_posts_20151124-5Fzero-5Frating-5Fa-5Fpoisoned-5Fchalice-5Ffor-5Fthe-5Fdeveloping-5Fworld_&d=CwMFAw&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=7NzfHtNVHC-SCC3tykKjEqKI_OKf3NbqHZCb414q6go&s=VDulPJA9EwQqSitPwlCU0keGy2xznFCr3rRVVpX1E8w&e=>
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
Grace
-- Tony White
Hello everyone, It is true that the problem of zero rates and net neutrality starts to become not only exciting but more and more momentum both economically and technologically. Here are my views on this problem became almost dichotomous: http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profiles/blogs/why-the-gym-between-ze... 2015-11-30 22:07 GMT+01:00 Grace Githaiga via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>:
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
Grace
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participants (11)
-
Ali Hussein -
Barrack Otieno -
Baudouin Schombe -
Ebele Okobi -
Grace Githaiga -
Grace Mutung'u (Bomu) -
Mwendwa Kivuva -
Ngigi Waithaka -
Tony White -
Walubengo J -
waudo siganga