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ISSUE NO 53 NEWS ROUND-UP & SNIPPETS

KENYAN ISPs SEEK LICENCE FOR EXCHANGE - SAGA GOES ON...

Kenya’s main Internet service providers have changed tack in their fight a controversial local Internet exchange when they applied to the Communications Commission of Kenya for a licence.But the real struggle for the ISPs may just be beginning, as Telkom Kenya is likely to mount a strong opposition to the application.

And it will be interesting to see how CCK will handle Telkom’s protest in light of Director-General Samuel Chepkonga’s undertaking last year to register the exchange "if they (ISPs) applied in the right procedure." Telkom has a major stake in the Internet sector, where it provides backbone services through its Kenstream and JamboNet services, and the licensing of the exchange would have far-reaching implications for its revenue base. In a Kenya Gazette notice published last Friday and dated March 21, Mr Chepkonga acknowledged the application and invited presentations from the public, as is normal practice during the 60-day "exposure period."

An exchange of the type sought by local ISPs acts as an information ‘clearing house’ among member ISPs, reducing the time and cost required to send and receive electronic mail locally. With the service, local messages do not have to go through international exchange routes as happens at present even if the mail’s destination is literally across the street. Inter-ISP connections attain the same speed as intra-ISP ones, while there are also potential savings in bandwidth and the development of new revenue streams.

The international routes sometimes involve exchanges in more than one continent, forcing ISPs to use the more expensive JamboNet circuits when the much cheaper Kenstream digital link would suffice.Last year, the ISPs operating under the umbrella of industry lobby Telecommunications Service Providers of Kenya (Tespok) had taken the hardline view that they did not need a licence to operate the service and went ahead with installations, sparking acrimonious exchanges with the regulator.

They argued that since the technology used on the Cisco-installed exchange was no different from a Local Area Network connection used in most company networks, they did not require a licence.But the Mr Chepkonga stood his ground arguing that the exchange fell under the classification "Value Added Services" in the Communications Act and was subject to a Sh100,000 licence fee. Telkom, he said, had no monopoly in such services.

In a major shift, the licence is now being pursued by a commercial venture as opposed to last year when the original facility was fronted by Tespok itself.The ISPs promoting the venture have formed the Kenya Internet Exchange Point Ltd, a consortium that brings together ISP Kenya, Africa Online, Swift Global, Kenyaweb, Insight, NairobiNet, InterConnect, Wananchi Online and Access Kenya. At present, it is a loose structure which is however expected to transform itself into a fully-fledged company if granted the licence.

Kenya has a thriving Internet trade, but many analysts believe its full potential has been severely constrained by regulatory hitches. As a result, the number of people with Internet connections is still under 40,000 in spite of the presence of more than 40 registered ISP in the market.

source: Washington Akumu, Daily Nation, 27 March 2001)

TANZANIA PROVIDES DIGITAL MAPPING SERVICES TO CALIFORNIA

With assistance from infoDev and Perwit International, a Canadian-based consultancy, a Dar-es-Salaam-based company is now offering digital mapping services to companies in California. According to Perwit’s Jacques Rostenne:"The volume is still small, but the client is satisfied, the business case is very strong and the potential is significant".

(source: Perwit International)

ZIMBABWE HOSTS MEETING ON SCIENCE PARK INITIATIVE

The Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the United Kingdom Science Parks Association (UKSPA), hosted a workshop on science parks development in Zimbabwe on March 21-22, 2001.In February 1999, the British Council, together with SIRDC, UZ and NUST, jointly ran a two-day workshop under the theme "Creating Wealth Through Science".This rare workshop explored how partnerships between industry, research institutions and academia could enhance the exploitation of new knowledge and technologies for commercial applications.This will enhance wealth creation, provision of employment and support further scientific research.

It brought together British and Zimbabwean experts who shared experiences regarding the structures in Great Britain and Zimbabwe on the dynamics of industry-academic links. It was an excellent opportunity for Zimbabwe to get government, industry and researchers together for discussions.It was a highly productive and challenging interaction.It demonstrated how science parks in the UK, for example, have made a difference to individuals¹ and society¹s prosperity.The meeting noted that the driving force in the UK is aiming to ensure that research is strategically linked to commerce and industry so that technology leads to commercial spin-offs.

Several interesting and fruitful activities have been implemented since the workshop of February 1999.A framework is now being put in place to incubate the ideas of "research entrepreneurs" into successful enterprises. To facilitate this endeavor, a memorandum of understanding was signed between SIRDC and UKSPA. The meeting will lead to a science-park-type initiative in Harare

The cooperation between SIRDC and UKSPA is based on mutual benefit.It aims to increase cooperation and awareness, establish a normal liaison and information exchange system, promote the progress of small and medium enterprises, lead to further cooperation in science and technology between the two countries.The ultimate objective of the cooperation would be to facilitate commercial cooperation including technology transfer between tenant companies in SIRDC science and industry parks, innovation centres and those in UK science parks.

(source: Fortune Mhlanga, Informatics & Electronics Institute)

TWO NEW ORGANISATIONS TACKLE AFRICAN INTERNET POLICY FRAMEWORK

The Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI), a project of Internews (http://www.internews.org) and the Center for Democracy & Technology (www.cdt.org), aims to contribute to addressing digital divide issues through policy work. GIPI supports "good" internet policy around the world by hiring local Country Advocates and providing them with the resources they need to work with local stakeholders (business, third sector, academia, international organizations) to identify possibilities for change on a policy level (in cooperation with the executive and legislative branches) and then to encourage adoption and implementation of those improvements.

It is launching the idea world-wide but its first country in Africa will be Nigeria. The Advocates have the ability to call upon a full-time Internet policy lawyer dedicated to GIPI and based in Washington, DC (and, if we can find funding, another in Paris) for advice, evaluations of draft legislation or regulation, or visits, and are part of an international network providing them with information about "best-practice" Internet policy elsewhere in the world and how to apply it in different situations. The effort has received funding from major foundations (OSI, Markle, Knight) and corporations (AOL, MS). Contact GIPI Managing Director Eric Johnson at johnson@internews.org if you want to know more.

Bridges.org is another international nonprofit organization working on the digital divide that has recently launched an office in Cape Town, South Africa, which will be its main base for operations. Its approach in South Africa is two-fold: removing the obstacles to IT use at the grassroots level by helping people understand the technology and its utility, and working at the policy level by promoting laws and policies that foster technology use.

Bridges.org is engaged in the ongoing IT policy debate in South Africa by contributing information and recommendations, fostering consensus and playing a role as a neutral facilitator among government agencies, the business community and nonprofit organizations. Two bridges.org board members, Esther Dyson and Mark Shuttleworth, also participate on President Mbeki’s International ICT Task Force. Bridges.org is contributing a variety of information resources as an independent and unbiased voice, which can be used by policy-makers and the general public as they navigate these complex issues, including reports on best practice case studies, and the range of perspectives on specific topics.

Bridges.org recently launched CITI-bridges, a joint project with the Cape IT Initiative (CITI) to establish a Cape Town technology outreach and resource center. The center will be based in CITI’s "Bandwidth Barn," a high-tech entrepreneurial center. The project aims to build on the energy around the business activities to engage the broader community to help IT integration in society. E-commerce is an important part of the puzzle, but integrating technology in developing countries has to be about more than just expanding global markets IT must be used as part of the solution to problems in education, healthcare, open and efficient government, and local economic development.

The CITI-bridges center will also implement the bridges.tech.guide in the programs that it partners with. The tech.guide is, a free manual that instructs on computer applications while teaching about the critical social aspects of technology use such as privacy, security, content, free speech, and copyright. It aims at getting people comfortable using the basic technology and helping them become informed Internet citizens. For more information: http://www.bridges.org or contactinfo@bridges.org.

SALE PROCESS FOR NIGERIA’S NITEL UNDER WAY

The process of selling state-owned fixed-line telecoms group Nitel and its mobile arm, M-Tel, has begun. Strategic investors have been invited to bid for between 40% and 51% of the two companies, which are being sold as a single package. The deadline for bids is June 11^th, and a shortlist of prequalified bidders will be announced within ten weeks of the closing date. The Bureau for Public Enterprises expects to close the deal in September—six months later than the original target date of March 2001.

(source: http://www.africanewsnow.com )

CAPE TOWN’S CENTURY CITY OFFERS HIGH SPEED DATA NETWORK

Century City, one of the largest and most high-profile property developments in Cape Town, is also one of the first projects of its kind in the world to be fully wired for a high speed data network from the ground up.

(source: Boot http://www.boot.co.za/news/mar01/wiredworld30.htm )

ITU REACHES CONSENSUS ON VOIP

The International Telecommunication Union’s third World Telecommunication Policy Forum closed with the adoption by government and industry of four "Opinions" that reflect the common understanding on Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony. The Opinions highlight the shared views that:

* the deployment of IP-based networks and applications has the potential to benefit users, industries, and the economy at large, because it fosters technical and market innovation, and diversity and growth in the economy;

* IP Telephony and other IP-based applications can provide a significant opportunity for all countries to respond to the convergence of information and communication technologies and to evolve their networks in order to expand the availability and use of a broader range of modern communication capabilities service sectors;

* the flexibility of IP technologies will contribute to an integration of voice and data networks, thereby allowing suppliers to take advantage of synergies and possible cost reductions, which will enable the provision of new innovative services and applications;

* mobile wireless systems are expected to migrate towards an IP-based architecture in order to deliver integrated voice, data and multimedia services, as well as access to the Internet;

* although IP Telephony has created some negative impacts on voice revenues generated by a number of telecommunication operators, particularly in some developing countries, there could also be a revenue gain for other communication operators and service providers.

For more information visit: http://www.itu.int/newsoom.

(source: Screen Africa News Bulletin 13 March 2001 via TAD Newsletter)

MICROSOFT SA LAUNCHES FIFTH DIGITAL VILLAGE

Besides the imminent launch of two digital villages in the Cape area, Microsoft SA have also been in a position to use some of the funds received from damages awarded to them in its ongoing fight against software piracy to assist with the opening of the Umtata SOS digital village at the Umtata SOS children’s village.

(source: Boot http://www.boot.co.za/news/mar01/microsoft20.htm )

GLOBALTRON SIGNS UP TWO AFRICAN COUNTRIES FOR ITS VOIP NETWORK

Globaltron Corporation announced today that it has signed two sets of contracts that will allow Globaltron to terminate and originate voice and data traffic in the African countries of Morocco and the Ivory Coast. The contracts will allow Globaltron to immediately begin to send and receive voice and data traffic using Globaltron’s U.S.-based ATM/VOIP switching network and backbone.Globaltron is actively soliciting and negotiating like contracts in several other countries.

(source: Globaltron )

OMNIE LABS GETS TO DEVELOP IP FIBRE OPTIC CABLE BETWEEN NIGERIA AND USA

OmniE Labs has been contracted by 2pipe.com, an international telecommunications company, to design and build an advanced IP- over- satellite network for high-speed voice and data transmission between the U.S. and Nigeria. The contract to develop the new technology-based Internet communications framework follows an initial engagement in which OmniE Labs’ software architects analyzed the 2pipe.com fiber optics network vision and determined that the concept was commercially viable. The network, once deployed, will be one of the largest between the US and Nigeria.

The fiber optics gateway for high-speed voice and data transmission from the U.S. to Nigeria is the first of several major projects planned by 2pipe.com to provide advanced communications services in Nigeria and other underserved global markets. The Princeton, NJ-based company has been granted operating licenses by the Nigerian Communications Commission to provide ISP and cabling services throughout the country.Nigeria, a nation of 110 million people in which demand dramatically exceeds supply of voice and data links, presently has no fiber optics to the home infrastructure.

(source: OmniE Labs)

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