Overview Of Internet In Kenya

1
Overview Of Internet In Kenya
Presentation By FRANCISCA MWEU Banjul,
Gambia June, 2000
2
Brief History

• First available in 1993
• To a small group of computer enthusiasts
• Access to the internet then was through a service
  known as Gopher
• Access was either via an analog international
  leased line or through X.25
• The first ISP was ARCC
• African Regional Centre for Computing(ARCC) an
  NGO, was the first provider of web-based internet
  service

3
Brief History

• First commercial ISP began operating in 1995
• Competition increased as more ISPs entered the
  market
• Initially, the ISPs used analog lines as digital
  connections were not available until the
  beginning of 1996

4
Internet Access Backbone

• Jambonet
• Access service for ISPs
• Launched in December 1998
• Cost is about one quarter of the cost of an
  international line

5
Internet Access Backbone

• Bandwidth
• 3 routes namely
• Teleglobe 2M
• BT 512k
• USEI 2M upstream 8M downstream

6
Liberalization

• In July 1999 the telecommunications market in
  Kenya was liberalized
• Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) was
  formed to regulate the sector
• Telkom Kenya - the telecommunications arm of the
  then KPTC was allowed a monopoly to operate an
  internet backbone for five(5) years

7
Liberalization contd

• 31 ISPs have been licensed with 20 more awaiting
  licensing. 24 of the licensed are actively
  operating
• Telkom has applied to become an ISP and is among
  the ones in the waiting list

8
Subscriber Profile

• There are currently between 30,000 and 50,000
  internet users in Kenya with an estimated growth
  of 300 users each month

9
Subscriber Profile Contd

• Dial-up and leased line subscribers
• Main users are NGOs, international organizations
  - a total of more than 50 of all users
• Government and educational institutions make less
  than 5 of all users
• Cyber cafes
• Currently there are more than 200 cyber cafes
  with more opening up every month

10
Conclusion

• Use of internet is on a steep rise
• Applications such as e-commerce and VPNs are
  being used
• Stakeholders are championing the use of
  EDI/e-commerce