I was recently listening to a conversation Dickson Morande held on YellowTape. This conversation can be found on Aqute Media and other podcast streaming platforms. It is a podcast I would highly suggest that you check out, it is informative. So the conversation I was listening to concerned the fair usage policy, stay with me I this is very important.
Early this year Safaricom announced an increase in speeds on the Home fibre internet. Cunningly hidden in their terms and conditions however was a new clause on the Fair usage policy which introduced limits on the amount of data per month. This did not sit well with Kenyans [mostly Home internet Subscribers] as they felt that Safaricom was being unfair.
Dickson set out to seek answers for Kenyans by having several conversations with the stakeholders in the field. What Safaricom was doing is that however much they were increasing the speeds they put some sort of a ceiling for the home internet subscribers. They gave for example the bronze package users a limit of 500GB data package with speeds of up to 8mbps. When a home had used up all this data they were reduced to a speed of 1mbps for the rest of the subscription.
During the conversation part of the Internet Providers argued that this was just more than enough for any home users. the math was that a normal household will use about 10GB per day and therefore around 300GB per month. this was more than generous for Safaricom even unheard of anywhere in this world.
The problem however came with Kenyans becoming Kenyans [and they have mastered this art rather well] in making business at the expense of other businesses. We have done this with KRA [making money with the filing of returns], ‘kamagera’ who act as brokers for matatu tout, the list goes on and on. So Safaricom and other Internet Service Providers noticed that Kenyans had turned to brokers upon hearing ‘unlimited’ in the earlier terms and had started selling internet to other people. We cannot forget that Safaricom is running a business and hence whatever was happening was making them run on losses. Cause, as they sold the internet for the purposes of consumption Kenyans, were using it for business. They were using the home package and subdividing it to other users who in turn paid them. In doing so this, of course, led to abnormal use of the internet which was only supposed to be shared among a maximum of three devices for example. This is what led to the introduction of the fair use policy.
Powered by RedCircle
However, Safaricom when this happened they did not cut them off in spite of their lack of consideration, they only reduced their speeds for the rest of the subscription. In the panel was also a representative from the Communications Authority of Kenya who clearly stated that the terms of the agreement between the provider and the subscriber were privy to them. Whatever Safaricom did was right according to their regulations and rules.
Personally in my view on this particular subject in terms of what I got from the conversation is that, Safaricom are being straightforward. It is right for them to enforce this act and Kenyans should he straight forward also. Incase one wants to do business with the internet they should subscribe to the business packages. All those within the terms of agreement should not be worried at with the Fair Usage policy.
This and many informative and educative conversations can be found on the aqute media platform. I find their conversation have some sort of thrill and realism within them and would really love to share the same enthusiasm with you my great reader.
