Waruguru Muchira
26 April 2006
Nairobi — Africa Online Limited yesterday introduced a mobile high-speed internet service in Kenya, making it only the second country after South Africa to have such a service.
Known as InfiNet Broadband, the service gives users speeds of one megabit per second, nearly 20 times that of a regular telephone connection.
Africa Online has invested Sh300 million in the first phase of rolling out the service.
"Rather than buck the trend, we took a calculated risk and the result is bringing a revolutionary product allowing Kenyans to leapfrog into the future," managing director Mr Frederick Murunga said at the launch. Through an agreement Africa Online has signed with Kyocera Corporation of Japan, the company will be able to use Kyocera's "iBurst" technology to boost its broadband infrastructure in Kenya - which would make it just the third country in the world to have implemented this system.
"The new service is simple to set up, and user equipment is affordably priced, even for the small and medium sized businesses," he said. It is unique in that unlike many available fixed wireless solutions, infiNet Broadband is plug-and-play, requiring only an installation kit and the user terminal for connection.
According to Mr Murunga, the advent of mobile broadband wireless access will provide freedom and convenience for people sending and receive information through the internet, as users can remain connected when moving at speeds as high as 120 km per hour. Kenya has experienced an increase of 500,000 internet users in the last one year, bringing the total to 1.5 million. However, this is only a four per cent penetration. Fixed lines cover less than 1 per cent and wireless technology can be used to override the shortfall.
Mr Murunga credited growth of the sector to professional management and said greater partnership between the Government and private sector is needed, as well as for incentives investors in high technology, as this will have a positive impact on the country's economic growth. "The Government should consider more bold tax incentives for the private sector."
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