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{
    "id": 236516,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/236516/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kagwe",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Information and Communications",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 229,
        "legal_name": "Mutahi Kagwe",
        "slug": "mutahi-kagwe"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) Nothing has hindered the commissioning of other providers in the fixed line telephone transmission. The licensing of a Second National Operator (SNO) is ongoing. As the hon. Member may be aware, the selection of the candidate who will be the SNO was done through a competitive tender process which was concluded on the 26th October, 2006. The process led to the selection of a consortium known as VTEL whose financial bid was US$169,696,969, that is, Kshs12.4 billion against two other bids by Reliance Consortium and Mahanaga Telephone Kenya Limited whose bids were at Kshs8.1 billion and Kshs3.8 billion respectively. (b) Telkom Kenya does not have monopoly status any more. Since 2004 when the company's exclusivity ended, other service providers have been licensed as follows: In the areas of international gateways, there has been issuance of two licences; local loop licences, 20 operators;VSAT, 84 operators; and public data network, 31 operators. In view of the technological convergence, some of these licences are in the process of being merged into one licence called the Data Carrier Network Operator (DCNO). It is, therefore, evident that the licensing of more operators in the provision of fixed line telephone services is beneficial to the overall growth of the economy and it has started reducing the cost of telephone services in the country. This will lead to a reduction in the cost of doing business in Kenya."
}