Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
com
email: korandu@korandu.com
1
korandu@korandu.com
Government of Kenya
Building Strong, Resilient Communities
through Infrastructure & Communications
KIBRA Wi-Fi
ddeevvoolluuttiioonnppllaannnniinngg..ggoo..kkee K
KIIB
BRRA
A PPuubblliicc W
Wii--FFii N
Neettw
woorrkk
2
korandu@korandu.com
Introduction
The Government of Kenya is proposing to fund 100% of the cost of rolling out public WiFi hotspots in the low income housing regions. Partner
organizations such as the County Governments must be involved.
The government funding is vital to enable Public Wi-Fi as with any other Public service, but unlike other public state funded services, if
properly structured and executed the cost of management of Public Wi-Fi can be shared with the public it is intended to serve, with key aspects of
management that may be too expensive or too specialized for the public to manage being kept in the fold of Government management.
Public Wi-Fi can be structured to involve the public in aspects such as:
Regular day-to-day Maintenance
First line User support
Infrastructure Protection
Rationale for the WiFi network is as an enabler for the business and industry both big and small to connect at both B2B and B2C.
No business case is provided as to how network viability can ensured, and KoRANDU offers to undertake such investigation.
KoRANDU has undertaken research into the provision of free public Wi-Fi and would advise that significantly more thought and research be
undertaken in this area through a feasibility study. Installation of public Wi-Fi in other areas has been undertaken without any clear thought as to
the aims and objectives or identification of a potential return on investment, and these projects are now in significant danger of failure. KoRANDU
has and will continue to apply itself to ensure its Public Wi-Fi project undertakings are well *thought out and executed.
*KoRANDU understands that Public Wi-Fi in Africa is more about People than it is about Technology, which is the pitfall most
Public Wi-Fi projects fail to adequately factor in to their planning.
This will be elaborated as the project evolves For instance, what can we tell from this simple excerpt, from [http://www.purplewifi.net/latest-
survey-people-use-wifi-public-places/] A survey of 2540 Wi-Fi users by Purple WiFi (http://www.purplewifi.net/latest-survey-people-use-wifi-public-
places/) revealed that 72% of respondents used public Wi-Fi and tend to remain longer where it is offered, with two thirds of these were more
likely to spend more money as well. Average time spent on Wi-Fi was up to 30 minutes and 38% were online up to 1.5 hours. The main purpose
for logging on was to check emails and connect to social network sites and general browsing.
3
korandu@korandu.com
4
korandu@korandu.com
Many aspects of even the current Technical ToR (Terms of Reference) would require
engagement of multiple institutions regulatory, business, central government and
multiple departments within Government.
For example, from the Communications Authority of Kenya, the County Government, Central Government Ministries like Devolution
Planning, ICT, Education, and multiple departments within Government(ICT, District Level, Division Level Administration, Security) and
even Community Welfare institutions. All these are stakeholders in the successful implementation of the KIBRA Public Wi-Fi.
The Network and Business-Case Feasibility Study would enable for instance determination of how to lower the cost of the project
through for instance how:
1. the use of Public infrastructure can be leveraged to deploy the antennas reducing the building/rental costs of masts.
2. the Community Self-Help Youth groups can receive ICT training that will enable them to:
a. serve as the first line of support for the Community in use of the Public Wi-Fi Network
b. perform first line technical support of the Public Wi-Fi Network Infrastructure
3. Monetization of the service can be structured in a way to make it self-sustaining without adversely affecting utilization
... And this is only when looking at it from the angle of lowering deployment costs.
5
korandu@korandu.com
6
korandu@korandu.com
7
korandu@korandu.com
8
korandu@korandu.com
The KIBRA Public Wi-Fi Network though inventing nothing new in terms of technological advancement, is sufficiently complex as to
demand a unique approach, requiring an proportionately unique skills set to succeed even in small way.
The Network and Business-case Feasibility Study will enable deployment of a Public Wi-Fi Project that will NOT ONLY be useful for all
users in the short term, but sustainable in the long term.
10
korandu@korandu.com
Who we are....
KoRANDU is a Technology Strategy and Design Company, that specializes in the innovation, development, deployment and management of
applications that respond to unique challenges user in industry faces.
KoRANDU is also a Technology Partner/Reseller to , IBM, Novell, Funambol and MCX of South Africa.
We have developed and deployed specialized Internet Security Systems, Mobile Network Applications, and Collaboration Groupware Servers since
the year 2002 for a host of small, medium and large enterprises, through both directly contracts by enterprises and indirectly contracts
(subcontracting). Some of our systems include:
KoRANDU Ltd.
Swing House, 3rd Floor, Door No.34, Olesangale Rd., Madaraka, Nairobi.
P. O. Box 74019 - 00200 Nairobi, Kenya email: korandu@korandu.com
Tel: +254 20 2731477/4 Cellular: +254 722 834115
11