Year of ICT earthquakes, innovations and scandals

Goodbye analogue, welcome digital transmission.

Kenya joined the rest of the developed world in beginning the switch to digital transmission, with national broadcaster KBC leading the way.

The pilot project is in Nairobi and its environs, with plans to roll out to other towns next year.

From one channel in the analogue system to about 16 channels in one in the digital shift, scarcity of frequency will no longer be a problem. Picture quality is also much clearer.

The main challenge ahead for media houses is generating enough local content to engage the audience fully.

Postal Corporation of Kenya scandal

Fred Odhiambo, the Postmaster General at the Postal Corporation of Kenya, was sacked following a forensic audit report which implicated him in mismanagement.

At the centre of the controversy was the electronic payment platform, PostaPay.

It was estimated that more than Sh20 million per month was unaccounted for since Postapay was launched in 2006

Service Provider Number Portability

The much anticipated mobile number portability was approved this year, giving subscribers the ability to migrate across network as they wish, without changing their numbers.

Though, it will become operational early next year, mobile operators are already anticipating a price war as a result.

Yu, Telkom Kenya’s Orange and Zain, were seen as the major winners of this presidential approval allowing service provider number portability.