Mobile WiMAX, Broadband Internet and Tariff Wars in Kenya

A while back, I wrote this post: WiMAX - The Future of Mobile Broadband Internet in Kenya. It was an interesting post that was inspired by and predicated on immense online debate about the Kenyan Telecommunications industry.

A lot has happened since that time. Following is my (obviously) subjective take on these events:

Zain Kenya
People have continued to VUKA to Zain. The Wonderful World tagline has surely and gradually materialized with the Ksh 8 flat rate across networks. I just call, be it a landline, cell phone number, each day every day. That is in my opinion the way to go. The Ksh 65 Unlimited Talk concept is also great, something that has made Zain Kenya the Purple Cow in the local ICT sector. See Seth Godin's Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.

Orange Mobile and Broadband
I am yet to understand what inspired the Ksh 1 on-net calling rate by Telkom Kenya. Telkom failed the test by hurriedly launching their GSM services only in Nairobi and Mombasa, and failing to offer a flat rate plan right from the start.
All the same, there is abundant hope for them, given their deep-pockets and "convergent service offering". Telkom should however note that we live in the days of unified Telecom licences. What the Wananchi Group is doing with Zuku will confirm this.

On Orange Broadband, see my comments on Access Kenya (access@home) and Africa Online (Infinet) below.

Zuku Broadband and Cable TV
Talking of Zuku, theirs is such a good deal, almost too good to be true. I have previously written about Zuku here.
The only problem is their current limited reach (Nairobi area and Mombasa). In these days of WiMAX, wider coverage is both viable and needful, especially to serve guys like yours truly who lives slightly less than 40 km from Nairobi.
Zuku should therefore move with speed and expand their coverage before the Safaricom-owned One Communications grabs the broadband-hungry market that I am currently a part of.

Safaricom and One Communications
There is a lot to say about Safaricom, most of which is pretty unpleasant.
I'd however be remiss in failing to mention the following, given that since I VUKAD, the number of Safaricom customers has changed from n to n-1.

> After VUKA happened, the Ksh 5 rate for calls between 10pm and 12am and Ksh 2.50 rate for calls between midnight and 6am on the Safaricom network was in my opinion either an insult or a sick joke by Safaricom to its subscribers. I just cannot understand why they did that.

> The Jimbabie tariff promotion simply sucks. Worse, it is very unfair to the majority that can only afford the Ksh 20 and at best, the Ksh 50 top-up vouchers. It reflects very badly indeed on a company that has previously endeared itself to the Kenyan public with a "fair pricing" perception. Many others continue to share their views here.

> I do anticipate the countrywide WiMAX rollout by One Communications. If they beat Zuku at adequately covering my area first, offering mobile broadband (16e and not 16d), offer me an affordable, reliable and unlimited internet package; I shall so sign up with One Communications.
Thank God for choice and competition, I do have a very clear idea of exactly what value for money means when it comes to the Telecoms sector. And that is just the beginning!

Access Kenya (access@home) and Africa Online (Infinet)
These guys have very exorbitant prices for their internet offering. They also cover only Nairobi area and have not showed a desire to expand, in view of the many months one of them has been operational.
Moses Kemibaro recently compared Home Broadband Internet providers here. Enough said, you be the judge.

Econet Wireless
These guys are yet to roll out. I however did detect their network signal in various parts of the CBD. You can do this via a manual network search on your cell phone. The Econet signal is designated KE O5. That means Econet numbers will be 075* ******.
I hope that Econet learns from all the above and simply innovates. That seemingly is their only advantage. Perhaps their only option too.

Meanwhile, we can sit back, relax and enjoy lower calling rates, better customer service, reliable and faster internet services and best of all, choice.

Our best days are indeed ahead of us!