Thanks Anders for this

I strong believe that the key driver to the cost of access here is the
monopolistic tendencies by the network operators. I really doubt if the
reduction on cost of license will have any impact on the pricing. Some
providers like Telkom Kenya which have better potential either have no
strategy to conquer what should be their forte or they simply love to
maintain their current share of their pie instead of fighting for more.

Safaricom controls 98% of the data market in the country considering that
99% of the access to data services in Kenya are through mobile. That is
according to this CCK quarterly report. This 98% market share has been
achieved by default. Safaricom subscriber numbers and key offerings in VAS
and bundled data services allows it to almost maintain its share with even
higher pricing.

The situation might not change anytime soon as long as we have not found a
better and cost-effective way of delivering data to the last-mile.
Safaricom has now raided our homes with the Webbox. ITU might next year
rate us as being more expensive than they have this year considering that
we will have still increased penetration but the dynamics will still be
stagnant.

What Kenya has achieved in the data is less of intervention of Ndemo and
Kukubo who have done nothing but reward cronyism but more of a push by the
local techies using all manner of guerilla tactics. The eqquation will
change and pricing will go low only when the heavy users (techies, social
media addicts and developers) push and push some more. Workshops, prayer
crusades and sugarcane parties wont lower the costs.

Alai
_______________________________________________
The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug

Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected]
Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug
To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug

The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: 
http://www.infocom.co.ug/

The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including 
attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any 
way.

Reply via email to