WWW/Internet - Portal do Software Público Brasileiro

ISBN: 978-972-8939-25-0 © 2010 IADIS4. RESULTS4.1 ISPsA list of 50 registered ISPs with contact details were obtained from CCK and they were all contacted forinterviews. Twenty nine of them could not be reached even after visiting their physical addresses. Sixteenwere reached and questionnaires were sent, but even after several attempts to retrieve the questionnaires noresponse was achieved. Two ISPs responded positively and provided the required information. Five otherISPs responded, but were only willing to provide the date of establishment. Attempts to ensureconfidentiality of the information failed to convince these ISPs to provide the information required. Theinformation used in this analysis is, therefore, from the two ISPs who responded – Wananchi online Ltd andIwayAfrica.The consumer base is mostly made up of businesses and private consumers, and the market is mostly forboth email and browsing customers. The popularity of cyber-cafes is increasing, as signified by the largenumber of users who subscribe to them. Other services provided by the ISPs include domain registration,web design and hosting, web security, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Virtual Satellite ApertureTerminals (VSATs).According to the report obtained from the Communications Commission of Kenya (2008a), the totalnumber of Internet users was 3.3 million, compared to 2.8 million of the previous year, representing a 9%increase. The number of dial-up customers was higher (7,846) as compared to leased lines (1,809) andwireless connectivity (5,226). There was a decline in the number of leased line customers and dial-upcustomers by 6.7% and 1.9% in 2008 compared to 29% and 32% in 2007. The decline has been characterizedby the demand for wireless connections that has grown by 0.97%. The 2 ISPs reported that www.google.comand www.yahoo.com are the most visited sites respectively.4.2 The Users4.2.1 Demographic InformationWith more and more people becoming Internet users, the demographic composition of the users arecontinually changing. Currently in Kenya the proportion of males (64%) is higher than that of females (36%).The average age of Internet users is one of the most significant indicators of Internet penetration in a country.In Kenya the prevalent age group, which is approximately 57% of the total number, is between 16 - 25 yearsas presented by Figure 1Figure 1. The Age of Internet UsersIn terms of educational level the results indicated that 94% of the respondents are people who havestudied either at university or college. Students represent the most numerous group, about 48% whileprofessions /professionals (working class) represent 45% of the Internet users.The results further indicated that the higher an individual’s income is, the more likely he/she is to haveaccess to the Internet. About 47% of adults with an income of more than Ksh10, 000 reported that they use60