Distribution in Kenya?

[EdThaSlayer]

I beg to differ with you if I'm to talk from my experience with installations. I do a cuople of installation rounds in Nairobi since late 2005 and precisely I have done 16 installations, distributed around 30-something CDs and a few troubleshoots here and there. Locally we don't have a distribution point for original CDs unless you want FTP downloads.

About GPRS and ubuntu, I'm personally intertested in that coz I can't really wait to have Internet at my home desktop PC ( currently I use college's connection). I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing but I need some advice here: I'm trying to write a device driver for my GPRS enabled nokia phone ( actually I bought this book on writing linux device drivers) and so far I've managed to register it as a character device via mknod. Any suggestions?

I thought that getting internet via your phone is expensive
Have you heard of flashcom? or Africa Online?
They offer a service where they give you a phone like hardware where you can call and connect to the internet. It does cost around 3000 ksh a month, and I think you have to buy these "credit" cards or something(to get more than the 40+ hours they give you).

[alexmoon]

I was looking for something else and stumbled across this thread - it really jumped out at me because I'll be in Nairobi in a couple of days (and am still trying to find somewhere to stay for the WSF, but that's another story!).

I'm pretty new to Ubuntu myself, and terribly excited about it. Just wondering if you guys were planning to come to the WSF - I imagine it should have some open source stuff happening, but I have no idea. Or I could try to arrange some distribution CDs, if that's a problem for you...I'm here for another day or two and might manage something.

I guess I really just wanted to say hi and best wishes - very glad Ubuntu's finding its way around the world.

[davehat]

I thought that getting internet via your phone is expensive

You have to ask yourself this... what is "expensive"? ALL internet access here in Kenya is expensive - unless you go to an internet cafe. If you want personal "at home"/"in office" access, you will be paying through the nose. Popote and Flashcom look good, but they are not even available Nairobi wide yet. I also hear rumours they are struggling under the weight of new users (can't verify that though).

If you want to stream media or download torrents etc, then yes, GPRS is expensive and impractical. For just browsing and retrieving email, I'd argue it's the cheapest access going, outside Nairobi at least. On Safaricom PAYG, 1mb is Ksh10. That's about $0.13 (or about £0.07). Unless you have large email attachments and a penchant for youtube, you should be able to keep the costs within reason. I used it for a month (on windows - couldn't get Ubuntu set up ) and it was OK. If you're going to use it, I recommend the ImgLikeOpera and flashblock add-ons for firefox (I know, I could have just used opera, but what the hey...) as it gives better control of image handling/downloading. WordPress and MT were a bit of a pain in the bum with it though, I must say. Still, better than dial up and MUCH better than nothing.

What with not prohibitively expensive GPRS/EDGE phones coming out all the time, I'd say it may be worth more people looking to the mobile networks for their internet. GPRS has very wide coverage across Kenya which is a real advantage. The only other alternative in even slightly more remote areas are ADSL and vSAT. The cost of setting up vSAT is very high (as are the monthly fees); ADSL is expensive, requires a nearby telegraph pole (not a given) and is unreliable. Meanwhile CDMA won't be getting out of Kenya's cities any time soon.

Have you heard of flashcom? or Africa Online?

The closest Kisumu has to that right now is a Butteryfly WiFi zone. As far as I can work out, it's only available in a 20 metre radius of the transmitters somewhere in the centre of town. It's not really practical at all for the average user and not cheap either! Moreover, it's being (re-) sold here by SwiftGlobal and they'd much rather you used their expensive vSAT/radio/microwave system which requires about a $400 hardware outlay and close to KSh16,000 a month in access fees.

In the short term, countrywide CDMA provision is dependant on Telkom unbundling local loops and they just plain aren't doing it outside Nairobi (except a few parts of Mombasa and rumours of services starting sometime this year in Kisumu's CBD). Even when Telkom have rolled out CDMA wireless, their prices for data are akin to daylight robbery - they charge KSh5 a minute (I think) - the same as a local call.

I suspect Telkom are holding back cheaper wireless data in fear of losing their high paying ADSL customers. For now the only solution for me and many others is Telkom ADSL. It may cost an arm and a leg ($138+ a month for 128/32kbps). It may require windows - the web portal is only viewable in IE. It may block a number of seemingly innocuous websites - amazon.co.uk... ***? It may fall over twice a day. It may have undergone a 67% pay increase. It may employ help desk staff who don't know what firefox is BUT.......

...hang on, what the hell was I talking about

ED, TELL ME MORE ABOUT FLASHCOM - A MAN CAN DREAM CAN'T HE?

/rant

[davehat]

I was looking for something else and stumbled across this thread - it really jumped out at me because I'll be in Nairobi in a couple of days (and am still trying to find somewhere to stay for the WSF, but that's another story!).

I'm pretty new to Ubuntu myself, and terribly excited about it. Just wondering if you guys were planning to come to the WSF - I imagine it should have some open source stuff happening, but I have no idea. Or I could try to arrange some distribution CDs, if that's a problem for you...I'm here for another day or two and might manage something.

I guess I really just wanted to say hi and best wishes - very glad Ubuntu's finding its way around the world.

Hey, sorry, I'm probably not going to be in NBO. I was thinking about it but, as you seem to be hinting at, there's precisely sod all hotel space left in town from next week what with two major conferences (the other at the Panari is full of medical types).

I'm pretty sure if you contacted ronaldodero, he'd be interested in popping along. I also seem to remember we're almost totally devoid of 6.10 discs in Nairobi, so maybe you could bring some.

ronaldodero...?

[alexmoon]

I'll do my best, though I've only got a couple of days left. If you change your mind the methodist guest house still seems to have a few places available, as does the fairview (the latter's horribly expensive, though).

[alexmoon]

I should be able to bring at least a few 6.10 CDs, if anyone wants to meet up with me and get them.

[EdThaSlayer]

Popote and Flashcom look good, but they are not even available Nairobi wide yet. I also hear rumours they are struggling under the weight of new users (can't verify that though).

I also think that they are struggling since one of my friends that uses Flashcom got 25 kbps for more than 3 weeks while he was supposed to get 128 kbps.
Link:[urhttp://www.flashcom.co.ke[/url]

I suspect Telkom are holding back cheaper wireless data in fear of losing their high paying ADSL customers. For now the only solution for me and many others is Telkom ADSL. It may cost an arm and a leg ($138+ a month for 128/32kbps). It may require windows - the web portal is only viewable in IE.
...hang on, what the hell was I talking about

I use AccesKenya, my speed is 256 kbps during the day and 32 kbps at night. My dad does pay a hefty bill of $125, even though that is much cheaper than what you have to pay but you're not in Nairobi.Mine is connected to some satellite that is nearby through wireless. If only I could have 1 mb and have 256 kbps during the day that would be beautiful(could download Ubuntu packages in a second or two, if something is going wrong I can just download something else that will fix it, most of the time I'm usually waiting for stuff to finish downloading)

ED, TELL ME MORE ABOUT FLASHCOM - A MAN CAN DREAM CAN'T HE?

/rant

"Enjoy our affordable tariffs tailored to meet your specific needs

The Flashcom prepaid service is a smart way that allows you to have complete control on your spending.

The Flashcom postpaid tariff allows you to keep in touch and stay connected at all times.

Flashcom Internet bundles give you greater affordability and are designed to meet your specific Internet needs.

Our tariffs are designed with one thing in mind: You saving on call costs.

So get your Flashcom connection today and experience the true joy of communication."

The "true" joy of communication! Hope this sounds good. I'm not sure that they provide access in Kisumu.
It is funny how they seem to have different "flavors" of internet speed on this page:http://www.flashcom.co.ke/unltd_internet.php

[davehat]

I use AccesKenya, my speed is 256 kbps during the day and 32 kbps at night.

You have higher speeds during the day? That's plain odd...

[EdThaSlayer]

You have higher speeds during the day? That's plain odd...

A big typo!!! I meant 256 kbps during the night and 32 kbps during the day!
Happens to me when I write a lot, and forget to review what I wrote.

[roxxy]

I should be able to bring at least a few 6.10 CDs, if anyone wants to meet up with me and get them.

i would like to get hold of a copy 6.10, let me know how we can hook up.