Counties such as Nakuru and Kisumu are in the process of putting up free Wi-Fi hotspots for their residents.
Meanwhile, telecom player Orange Kenya is also helping to setup Wi-Fi services in various regions in the country. Orange, in turn, plans to support county governments with implementing e-security, revenue collection and management, e-health services and online education initiatives.
These initiatives have come about in a market where internet usage is growing quickly.
According to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), the country’s total internet and data services market has continued to show positive growth signs reaching 13.1 million subscribers, up from 11.9 million subscriptions in the previous quarter.
But Chris Wen, product manager for PC maker Asus Kenya, has said that more needs to be done to spur on digital inclusion in the country.
“Free WI FI is not enough. I would think that motivation is key. Pushing people to do something that doesn't interest them rarely works like the online tax payments, school registrations. These things are hardly exciting,” Wen told ITWeb Africa.
“The government of the respective areas should find something more beneficial to the community that can only be found online to help motivate the community switch to the digital era,” Wen said.
“Digital exclusion is not simply about the number of people that go online just once. This cannot be the end game. We need to find measurable ways to identify what works and what doesn't to allow for progress,” Wen added.
Wen went on to tell ITWeb Africa that lowering the prices of smart devices could also enhance digital inclusion.
Prices of gadgets sold through official channels have risen after Kenya implemented a value added tax (VAT) of 16% on products last year.
But government officials, in counties such as Kisumu, say that free Wi-Fi is a key way to spur on internet adoption. Wi-Fi hotspots in Kisumu are planned to go live on May 11.
“The facility will enable residents to register their business online, pay for their licences as well as accessing other important agricultural information,” Kisumu county governor Jack Ranguma has said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Vincent Matinde
Quelle/Source: ITWeb Africa, 22.04.2014
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