korandu@korandu.

com

INNOVATION . ENGINEERING . MANAGEMENT

email: korandu@korandu.com

P.O. Box 74019 00200

Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-20-2485098
GSM: +254-722-834115
Company Reg. No.: C.113105
PIN: P051165740W VAT: 0158210E

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Government of Kenya
Building Strong, Resilient Communities
through Infrastructure & Communications

KIBRA Wi-Fi
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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.

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By direct extrapolation from the above usage statistics,

Wi-Fi can be used to:
1. shape human traffic patterns
2. increase spending

Experience gathered in other areas, are since the

advent of Mobile Data i.e. High Speed Downlink Packet
Access HSDPA by the Tier 1 Telecom Providers, crime
related to smartphones and other internet enabled
devices shot up spurred by the increased demand for
these devices without commensurate increase in
availability and accessibility.

These are the sort of unforeseen benefits and/or

positive/negative consequences that KoRANDU will
endeavour to investigate in partnership with the
Government.

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Proposed KIBRA Public WiFi Project

The outline of the proposed public WiFi defines the minimum technical requirements
for the KIBRA Wi-Fi Network.

With respect to this Technical Specification ToR (Terms of Reference), a Network

Feasibility Study would have to be conducted before a technical response could be
constructed and a Government Business-Case Feasibility Study would have to be
conducted to ensure viability and develop ways to ensure sustainability.

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.

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There are multiple other angles that need to be investigated to establish

viability. For Example in Governance, Social Impact, Branding.
For instance in Governance - How can the Public Wi-Fi enable the
Government to:
a) more easily reach its citizens with services -
i - Healthcare
ii - Education
iii - Economic Stimulus
b) get feedback from citizens with respect to the services it is offering or
other needs
c) organize and support its citizens during a disaster
(remember during the PEV, Citizens could no communicate because Scratch
cards could not be delivered, and when the Cellular providers used
helicopters to deliver Scratch cards in a disaster where there is no economic
activity the most vulnerable and in need would be unable to use the network
in spite of it being fully operational)

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...and the output of the Governance aspect, would directly

impact the Network Design, as robust, disaster resilience will
become a primary factor in design.

Potential Social Impact would have to be assessed.

For instance, the presence of a Public Wi-Fi Network would
create a sharp rise in demand for Smart phones. What
interventions should be put in place to ensure it does not result
in a sharp rise in Smart-phone related crimes. Is it viable for the
government to negotiate with manufactures to manufacture
high quality Smart-phones tha target the $50 mark, or can a
business model be built which enables the Community

Youth Groups to viably run low cost solar-powered cybercafs

ensuring access to all.

Branding - How should the project be packaged in order to be

accepted and embraced by the community. The community has
been severely traumatized by many political events out of its
control, the 2007 Post Election Violence, the Global War on
Terror, historic injustices

Network Feasibility Study & Business-Case Feasibility Study. The

vital first step for the KIBRA Public Wi-Fi Network.

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Three delivery models are possible:

Delivery Models 1. A centrally coordinated service responsible for installation
and ongoing operational supervision and servicing. This would
in effect be a monopolistic model and likely to be the most
costly and producing the lowest return on investment.
2. Established by Government. Network Core managed by
Government with the Network Edge designed to be managed
by local organizations. The targeted communities would be
trained to be capable of first line support and maintenance.
Formulation of DIY kits and instruction manuals by a user
body for supply to communities would create ease of
maintenance and create community ownership resulting
significant cost savings that may be brought about by
malicious damage or theft (here we have in mind the damage
that was being deliberately done to telecoms infrastructure
that broke the economic model local communities depended
upon for their livelihood) This option is the most cost effective
and provides for a potential return on investment.
3. WiFi installed and provided by individual businesses. Would
fragment the business model and is subject to self-interest
bias rather than overall community needs. A very hard model
* The 2nd option is the most effective &
to maintain to any level of continuity.
sustainable BUT is the most complex to implement.
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Conclusion and Recommendation

KoRANDU LIMITED is currently chairing a business alliance of companies whose members have experience in deploying state operated
public WiFi Networks and Development Consultants with backgrounds in State Governance Projects.

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.

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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:

1. Internet Firewalls, Network and Host Intrusion Detection Systems

2. Groupware & Collaboration Servers, Mail Security Solutions and Filters
3. Data Storage Servers & Business Continuity Solutions
4. Document Management Systems
5. Multimedia Streaming Servers & Internet Portals
6. SMS, MMS, Loyalty Systems
7. Specialized Linux Solution Development, Deployment & Management
8. Help Desk Systems

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

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