2009 a great year for ICT in Kenya!

I am changing the focus of this blog to provide a commentary on information and communication technologies (ICT) in Kenya.

2009 is proving to be a great year for ICT in Kenya.

Two undersea optical fiber communications cable projects have been completed, connecting Kenya with the rest of the world. Until now Kenya has been dependent on satellite technology, which is expensive and has high latency (delays), to connect to the rest of the world for telephone and Internet. The moaning and lamentation about continued high connectivity costs and very little reporting on the increased bandwidth and reduced latency threatens to overshadow the significance of the moment. But then again, perhaps this is Kenyan characteristic is not so negative if viewed from the perspective of the great desire to have affordable excellent Internet connectivity. Looking in hindsight the current debate mirrors that of mobile phone costs which have in the course of time reduced as the mobile phone operators have recovered their investment and competition and numbers of subscribers have driven costs down.

The growth in the numbers of people using mobile phone, the increase in the use of relatively cheap mobile to access the Internet and the innovations in money transfer (MPesa and Zap) are fantastic.

The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act 2009 is a milestone with the inclusion of a regulatory framework for e-commerce. Again the focus by many Kenyans and especially media is the lamentation about the desire by government to control and reduce media freedoms. Whilst it is understandable that media would rather not be controlled and they should be very grateful that they are dealing with GoK and CCK, which in comparison to most African countries has developed a good framework for regulating the ICT sector. Just ask the South African's.

These three things, better Internet, innovation in the use of mobile phones to connect to the Internet and as a means of money transfer and a legal framework for e-commerce will significantly improve the lives of many in Kenya. Many will look back to 2009 as the beginning of amazing times.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Sir Winston Churchill, Speech in November 1942, British politician (1874 - 1965)