• About Us
  • Archives
  • SWG Registration
Samrack Media
Mahiga Homes
  • Home
  • ALL NEWS
  • Diaspora
  • Africa
    • AFRICA
    • KENYA
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS
    • INVESTMENTS
    • REAL ESTATE
    • TECHNOLOGY
  • Politics
  • Health
    • HEALTH
    • EDUCATION
  • Religion
  • People
    • PEOPLE
    • LIFESTYLE
    • RELATIONSHIPS
  • Obituaries
  • Videos
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • ALL NEWS
  • Diaspora
  • Africa
    • AFRICA
    • KENYA
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS
    • INVESTMENTS
    • REAL ESTATE
    • TECHNOLOGY
  • Politics
  • Health
    • HEALTH
    • EDUCATION
  • Religion
  • People
    • PEOPLE
    • LIFESTYLE
    • RELATIONSHIPS
  • Obituaries
  • Videos
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Samrack Media
No Result
View All Result

What Kenya can learn from net neutrality debate in America

samrack by samrack
January 2, 2018
in Africa, Business, Diaspora, Kenya, Kenya Diaspora News, News, U.S Diaspora
A A
0
What Kenya can learn from net neutrality debate in America
Share this
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailWhatsAppLinkedIn
INTERNET PROVIDERS SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO FREEDOM TO MANAGE THEIR OWN NETWORKS WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

What Kenya can learn from net neutrality debate in America

In the close of last week, the global internet world was abuzz after Federal Communications Commission in the US, equivalent to the Communications Authority in Kenya, in a 3-2 vote, repealed the net neutrality policy — a set of new rules governing US internet service providers not to block or downgrade lawful web content, nor offer preference to content over others through differential pricing.

For example, if a provider of video programming wants to ensure that its customers receive its content quickly and so wants to purchase faster internet service from network providers, the video programming provider should not be allowed to buy this enhanced access because it will tilt the playing field since competitors, mostly new innovators, who can’t pay for the same access will be pushed to slower connections.

This set of new rules achieved what’s often called network neutrality or net neutrality — a term coined by Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu in his 2002 paper, Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination which the Obama administration pushed for arguing that it will bring certainty and predictability to the broadband economy.

The main justification for net neutrality regulation laws is to prevent harm to consumers and economists look at it in two different ways.

First, from the economic structuralism perspective, those who advocate for net neutrality believe that the internet is a public good and people are entitled to have a “neutral” provision of information over the internet because the internet was designed to be neutral.

Therefore, it’s necessary for government to fix prices because without such regulation a relatively small number of internet service providers will become managers of the internet with a “monopolistic” voice that overrides public interest.

This public interest theory in regulation is always popular because most people believe that regulation is costless to society and that’s how the world should work since it’s assumed to carry no extra-cost.

Second, from the economic liberal’s perspective who advocate for the repeal on net neutrality say the debate is basically a competition economic issue on whether price discrimination should be allowed or not?

As far as they are concerned, net neutrality is simply a price-fixing issue impeding infrastructure deployment because growth in demand for bandwidth-intensive applications such as streaming videos like Netflix or online gaming require vast capital investment but internet providers are not willing to take the chance since the prices are fixed and they might fail to recoup their costs.

At the same time, these bandwidth-intensive applications are sensitive to delay and this congestion leads to degradation of service for all internet users.

So the price-fixing is a heavy cost to the netizens since the sector is denied quality services due to lack of incentive to always improve it.

Therefore, the solution is for internet providers be entitled to freedom to manage their own networks without government interference, which means the right to set prices using surge pricing model where they can charge web content providers such as Yahoo!, eBay, Youtube, Netflix according to an increase in demand.

So what are the implications of the net neutrality repeal and lessons Kenya can take from the debate?

First, in the event that US internet provider companies negotiate a deal with major web content providers like Netflix, YouTube and other streaming services that are bandwidth-intensive to increase service charges, the most likely scenario is that those providers will not pass to the US consumer since they will still want to retain their respective market positions but possibly pass it to unsuspecting customers around the world, which may include Kenya.

Second, though Kenya finds itself under net neutrality policy position by default, the big concern is the fate of the preservation of the global open internet access policy and its interconnectedness nature.

After the net neutrality repeal in the US which actually redefines whether the internet is a public good, the question now posed to other jurisdictions who look up to the US as the global influence in best regulation practices, like Kenya, is whether to replicate the US net non-neutrality policy.

Third, time is ripe for Kenya to open the public debate about regulating the broadband economy by clearly separating the two mini-markets of internet service providers and web-content providers as the best regulation regime of wireless spectrum management in order to foster development through non-discriminatory competition.

For example, with mobile network accounting for the vast majority of internet consumers in Kenya, what are the chances that Safaricom can unsuspectingly use its market power to unfairly discriminate, like degrading peer-to-peer traffic of e-commerce site Jumia in favour of its own e-commerce site Masoko?

Or its own taxi hailing application Little Cab over competitors Uber and Taxify? Or any other internet service provider using its infrastructure to favour its own content in the web-content market.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/

Tags: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/What-Kenya-can-learn-from-net-neutrality-debate-in-America/539548-4247930-dsbn2u/index.htmlWhat Kenya can learn from net neutrality debate in America
Previous Post

Kenyans’ mobile money deals hit Sh1.7 trillion in Q3

Next Post

Kenyan Woman Killed in a Hit-and-Run Crash in the US Phoenix, Arizona

Related Posts

Paul Rusesabagina's daughter tweeted a photo of him smiling.
Africa

Hotel Rwanda hero and government critic arrives in US

March 31, 2023
Transition/Death Announcement of Esther Wangui Kahare who was mother to; Catherine Wamuti & grandMa to Esther Njeri all of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Family – in Auburn MA – Worcester City
Diaspora

Transition/Death Announcement of Esther Wangui Kahare who was mother to; Catherine Wamuti & grandMa to Esther Njeri all of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Family – in Auburn MA – Worcester City

March 29, 2023
SeedTime and Harvest Bible Church Conference  3/31/2023 to 4/02/2023 with Prophetess Mwaka Twagirayesu Host Apostle Pacific Zagabe

SeedTime and Harvest Bible Church Conference 3/31/2023 to 4/02/2023 with Prophetess Mwaka Twagirayesu Host Apostle Pacific Zagabe

March 29, 2023
There was media hype for GEORGE FLOYD in Kenya 🇰🇪 but none for IRVO OTIENO ~ Evangelist JUDY OYUYO
Diaspora

There was media hype for GEORGE FLOYD in Kenya 🇰🇪 but none for IRVO OTIENO ~ Evangelist JUDY OYUYO

March 28, 2023
A collage of IG Japhet Koome and the late Jeff Mwathi.

Kasarani Death Puzzles: Police Give Way Forward on Jeff Mwathi Case

March 26, 2023
A photo collage of Police Inspector General Japhet Koome (left) and Azimio Leader Raila Odinga (right).FILE
Africa

IG Koome Addresses Concerns by Kenyans Ahead of Azimio Protests

March 26, 2023
Next Post
Kenyan Woman Killed in a Hit-and-Run Crash in the US Phoenix, Arizona

Kenyan Woman Killed in a Hit-and-Run Crash in the US Phoenix, Arizona

Please login to join discussion
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Royal Gardens Ngong Royal Gardens Ngong Royal Gardens Ngong
ADVERTISEMENT
KIBS VILLA HOMES:(ABNB) Relax into Luxury: Monthly ABNB rates are negotiable Call:508-479-1517 / 254714428680 KIBS VILLA HOMES:(ABNB) Relax into Luxury: Monthly ABNB rates are negotiable Call:508-479-1517 / 254714428680 KIBS VILLA HOMES:(ABNB) Relax into Luxury: Monthly ABNB rates are negotiable Call:508-479-1517 / 254714428680
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest News

Hotel Rwanda hero and government critic arrives in US

Transition/Death Announcement of Esther Wangui Kahare who was mother to; Catherine Wamuti & grandMa to Esther Njeri all of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Family – in Auburn MA – Worcester City

SeedTime and Harvest Bible Church Conference 3/31/2023 to 4/02/2023 with Prophetess Mwaka Twagirayesu Host Apostle Pacific Zagabe

There was media hype for GEORGE FLOYD in Kenya 🇰🇪 but none for IRVO OTIENO ~ Evangelist JUDY OYUYO

Kasarani Death Puzzles: Police Give Way Forward on Jeff Mwathi Case

IG Koome Addresses Concerns by Kenyans Ahead of Azimio Protests

Ruto Heads to Germany and Belgium for Energy, Trade Deals

USCIS Says Individuals on Business or Tourist Visas Can Apply for New Jobs

US-Based Kenyan Author Dies After Falling from an Apartment’s Fourth Floor

Kenyan Woman Linda Obinchu Found Dead in Gaithersburg Maryland

We are grateful for your monthly or one-off donations To Samrack Media: Cash App No: 781-888-8770 $SAMRACK001

Money

New Digital Skills Helps Unemployed Kenyan Youth Earn In Cryptocurrency

New Digital Skills Helps Unemployed Kenyan Youth Earn In Cryptocurrency

by samrack
November 19, 2021
0

New Digital Skills Helps Unemployed Kenyan Youth Earn In Cryptocurrency This week sees the launch of a new initiative to equip...

A simple guide to Government Bonds investing in Kenya

A simple guide to Government Bonds investing in Kenya

by samrack
September 17, 2021
0

A simple guide to Government Bonds investing in Kenya A treasury bond (T-bond) is a medium term to long term...

Politics

Paul Rusesabagina's daughter tweeted a photo of him smiling.

Hotel Rwanda hero and government critic arrives in US

by samrack
March 31, 2023
0

Hotel Rwanda hero and government critic arrives in US Paul Rusesabagina, an outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, has arrived...

Kisumu residents stage protests over high cost of living in Kisumu on March 10. Image: DANIEL OGENDO

[PHOTOS] Dramatic scenes during Kisumu demonstrations

by samrack
March 10, 2023
0

Dramatic scenes during Kisumu demonstrations The protesters are seen negotiating with police to allow them to demonstrate. They held...

  • About Us
  • Archives
  • SWG Registration

© 2023 SAMRACK - Diaspora News & Updates; design by: Samrack.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • ALL NEWS
  • Diaspora
  • Africa
    • AFRICA
    • KENYA
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS
    • INVESTMENTS
    • REAL ESTATE
    • TECHNOLOGY
  • Politics
  • Health
    • HEALTH
    • EDUCATION
  • Religion
  • People
    • PEOPLE
    • LIFESTYLE
    • RELATIONSHIPS
  • Obituaries
  • Videos
  • Events

© 2023 SAMRACK - Diaspora News & Updates; design by: Samrack.

Page generated in 1.089 seconds. Stats plugin by www.blog.ca