Access Gaps: What would it take? A proposal

In 2016, the Kenyan government through the Communication Authority paid Intelecon Research & Consultancy Ltd, a Canadian company, to conduct an ICT access gaps study.

Some findings include:
Whereas geographical coverage is only 45% of Kenya’s land area, 94.4% of the population is already covered by 2G mobile services.
Whilst 3G service geographical coverage is only 17% of the geographical land area, 78% of the population is covered; thus the access gap for 3G broadband service is 22% of the population.
264 out of the total 295 constituencies appear to have a post office and therefore 31 constituencies, are without a sub – post office.
You can find the report here: www.ca.go.ke/index.php/ict-access-gap-study

They had also set up an interactive geo-portal but it seems it is not reachable for now: kenyageoportal.ca.go.ke/ca_public/flash/ <kenyageoportal.ca.go.ke/ca_public/flash/>

How are these concerns reflected in practice?

IEBC, like any other department was expected to use these findings in their policy planning – and that justifies why Intelecon Research & Consultancy Ltd was paid KES42.9M for the study.

A week to the August polls, IEBC stated that 27% of all polling stations (11,155 polling stations out of the has 40,883 gazetted ones) are without 4G or 3G GSM coverage: https://twitter.com/IEBCKenya/status/894179382683676674

One would expect to use these study findings (alongside other sources of network intelligence) to inform critical procurement, for example, election results transmission services. The lack of network coverage does not necessarily mean providers do not have capacity to cover the areas – it just does not make \’business ROI\’ sense to operate them in low activity zones. But during elections, for example, they can be requested to power on the bands to serve the critical functions. It seems this was not the case.

As the IEBC is reviewing its position after 2017 and going planning for the next tasks, an assessment of the network service procurement should be on the agenda, and its findings shared publicly.

-Moses

> On 29 May 2018, at 13:11, Job Muriuki via kictanet <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> @Wangari,
> I have followed the Mawingu story and paid them a visit and the kind of funding they get allows them to get service based on the expensive rates.
>
> <mailtrack.io/?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality5&> Sender notified by
> Mailtrack <mailtrack.io/?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality5&> 05/29/18, 8:05:51 PM
>
> Regards,
> Job Muriuki,
>
> Skype: heviejob
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 7:32 PM, WANGARI KABIRU via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>wrote:
> www.techweez.com/2018/03/27/ms-appfactory-launch/ <www.techweez.com/2018/03/27/ms-appfactory-launch/>
>
>
> Reading this, there are numerous options being explored.
> Which, even for this one must be capital intensive.
>
> USF has the opportunity to drive this agenda via Community Networks.
>
>
> Be blessed.
>
> Regards/Wangari
>
> —
> Pray God Bless. 2013Wangari circa – \”Being of the Light, We are Restored Through Faith in Mind, Body and Spirit; We Manifest The Kingdom of God on Earth\”.
>
>
> On Tuesday, 29 May 2018, 08:50:15 GMT+3, Job Muriuki via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>
>
>
> Barrack, If you are a small player in the Internet and data market in Kenya you know how punitive local rates are and the market is an oligopoly where prices have been \”fixed\”
> What Collins is suggesting is a better and efficient use of the existing fiber infrastructure specifically NOFBI.
>
> We have so much idle fiber cores going into their 10th year but the cost to access them is too expensive for smaller players to take it up as the main players opt to dig up more fiber every year due to the costs of leasing.
>
> The Government (both National and counties) are not keen to change the environment so we need to push the narrative of using NOFBI as it was intended and open up the market.
>
>
> Regards,
> Job Muriuki,
>
> Skype: heviejob
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 6:59 AM, Barrack Otieno via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> Hi Ali,
>
> ImHO we are discussing a public interest issue that might need a boost possibly from the Universal Service fund. Most of the ISPs that peer at KIXP are commercial entities that do so for commercial reasons not necessarily from a public interest perspective. During the ICT week, CA actually confirmed that the statistics we receive are normally population centric as opposed to being based on landmass. As infrastructure starts opening up the country such as the SGR, the International Airport in Isiolo , the Dual Carriage way to Mombasa, and rural electrification, people will start moving back to this areas that lack coverage and were hitherto considered unprofitable. I am yet to fully understand the long term business case of this projects funded by the Universal Service Fund and would like colleagues likes Adam to weigh in on the subject but it is my humble opinion that Community owned networks might be the way to go. Maybe Collins can share how they are surviving in Mashinani. I know the Telcos will claim that their network coverage extends to 90 % of Kenyans but we now know that this 90 % is in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, we need to change the narrative. Ensure the unconnected are connected and that the costs of the connections are low by all means.
>
> Regards
>
> On Tue, 29 May 2018 06:44 Ali Hussein via kictanet, <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
> Collins
>
> Just curious. Is there a regulatory bottleneck that would need to be unlocked? Reason I\’m asking is why do we need to wait for the govt to mandate anyone? Can\’t KIXP get on with it? Do we really need \’permission\’ for this?
>
> Regards
>
> Ali Hussein
> Principal
> AHK & Associates
>
> Tel: +254 713 601113
> Twitter: @AliHKassim
> Skype: abu-jomo
> LinkedIn: ke.linkedin.com/in/ alihkassim <ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> <ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>
> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing,
> Chiromo Road, Westlands,
> Nairobi, Kenya.
>
> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with.
>
> On Mon, May 28, 2018 at 8:17 PM, Collins Areba via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
> @Ali & Others.
>
> What does it take to push and actualize this? My suggestion would actually follow a very simple approach:
>
> a) GOK, through CA mandates KIXP and other exchanges to provide countrywide service with presence at each of the 47 County headquarters as initial POPs.
>
> b) Tier 1’s bid to operate and maintain redundant dark fibers to serve these IXPs, so that those IXP’s have multiple backhauls via multiple vendors.
>
> c) IXP\’s run an open access platform, offering standardized “Port charges” for 1G, 10G, 100G….. at each of these pops.
>
> d) Tier 2 and ASP’s then pick this traffic from any of these points.
>
> Immediate benefits:
>
> a) IP transit in Kilifi @400 bob a meg. 🙂 Instead of current IP transit at EADC at 400 plus local loop at KES 5000. Packets cost eleven times more from Nairobi to Kilifi than they cost from Nairobi to Guangzhou. That cartel needs to die for affordable access to be realised.
>
> b) Tier 3’s will have room to actually grow and become Tier 2 and Tier 1.
>
> c) Players will be forced to innovate to remain relevant, resulting in better Value for money.
>
> d) Fibers will be utilised way more efficiently. Fewer fibers also means less downtime. e.g a single fiber
>
> On 28 May 2018, 4:14 PM +0300, I.kasyoki— via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >, wrote:
>> Eagerly following on this as well.
>>
>> This will definitely be a game changer in regards to service penetration to marginalised areas.
>>
>> <htmlsig.com/t/000001C1QEB7>
>>
>> Ian Kasyoki /
>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> / 0726815478
>>
>> Syokinet Solutions
>> 020-440-2983
>> P.O BOX 136-00519 Mlolongo
>> www.syokinet.co.ke <www.syokinet.co.ke/>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> —- On Mon, 28 May 2018 11:52:57 +0300 [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> wrote —-
>>
>>
>> I Second Collins on this approach.
>> Considering NOFBI is state funded (unless am wrong) so it\’s the Kenyan taxes funding it and that KIXP via Tespok be given the mandate to offer ports at fixed rates accessible anywhere the NOFBI fiber terminates.
>>
>> <mailtrack.io/?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality5&> Sender notified by
>> Mailtrack <mailtrack.io/?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=signaturevirality5&> 05/28/18, 11:49:41 AM
>>
>> Regards,
>> Job Muriuki,
>>
>> Skype: heviejob
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 28, 2018 at 11:42 AM, Collins Areba via kictanet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I have a rather interesting suggestion to the powers, power brokers and brokers that be. This is with regard to flattening the access environment countrywide. If you are at CA: Indulge me for a moment.
>>
>> 1) KIXP has proven over time that it is possible, from a technical standpoint to significantly drive traffic locally and in an organized manner. This works well where there is an XP, in the current scheme of things: Nairobi, and if TKL doesnt pull the plug, Msa.
>>
>> 2) If KIXP were operated like a distributed network, with switches in Kilifi, Mombasa, Garsen, Garissa, Thika, and all major towns in the country, so that providers would visit the nearest exchange point and get a port, loop charges would all but disappear.
>>
>> 3) All thats needed is for GOK to give KIXP a dark fiber pair into all major towns, and in exchange, for KIXP to offer 1G, 10G, 100G, etc at subsidized rates in any of these towns, and for NOFBI hosts to be “strongly asked” not to strong arm entrants by levying crazy cross connect or other barriers to entry.
>>
>> Maoni?
>>
>>
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