WWW/Internet - Portal do Software Público Brasileiro

IADIS International Conference WWW/Internet 2010Technology Kenya, 2005). As it is evident that there is potential for usage of e-commerce in Kenya, it isinteresting to note that some people still feel they are not yet ready for e-commerce or Internet banking. Themost popular reason is that the Internet is not secure for monetary transactions. Credit cards are also not sopopular in Kenya and this is another reason why there isn’t much activity in e-commerce. A substantialnumber of people still prefer physically going shopping.5.4 The Future of the Internet in KenyaFor Internet uptake to be enhanced in the country there is a need for infrastructure improvement to improveaccessibility. Wider Internet connectivity can enhance Kenya’s economic growth. Wider access to theInternet will result in more people spending more time on the Internet. In future, many organizations arelikely to use the Internet to do business and create many jobs related to the technology. As the Internetcontinues to expand tremendous potential exists for its use.The future outlook of the Internet in Kenya is positive as commissions embark on the implementation ofthe Kenya Communications Amendment Act of 2008. Telecommunication infrastructure will have a majorboost with the completion of the National Optic Fibre Backbone infrastructure. This key infrastructure isexpected to increase bandwidth capacity in most parts of the country. This should have a positive impact onInternet diffusion in rural and remote areas. For example, the arrival of the first ever fibre optic internationalsubmarine cable to the country’s shores in mid-2009, with at least two more expected to go live by 2010, willlower the rates of international bandwidth which will finally take the Internet to the mass market.6. CONCLUSIONThe investigations of this study revealed that access technologies such as dial-up or leased lines arecommonly used while broadband technologies have only recently been introduced. The findings also showedthat in Kenya access and usage of the Internet are mainly associated with age, education, income and socioeconomicstatus, and that the market is occupied mainly by young people who are the frequent users of theInternet and who would also like to try doing online business transactions in the near future.Kenya’s Internet market looks positive and the government’s awareness of the advantages can increase itsusage. The much-anticipated undersea fibre optic cable and the improved competition regulatory frameworkwill boost Internet penetration. The introduction of broadband services by mobile operators is expected tofurther boost Internet penetration and use.This study has shown that, with the rate at which the number of Internet users is increasing, the Internet isbecoming more familiar to the Kenyan. This is especially true for the younger generation (26-35 years) thatregards it as a revolutionary technology that in the near future will permanently change the nature of datacollection, storage, processing, transmittal, and presentation. Information technologies have become essentialto enhancing the economic, social, and educational development of the country.REFERENCESAttaran, M. and Vanlaar, I., 2000. Privacy and Security on the Internet: How to secure your personal information andcompany data. Information Management and Computer Security, Vol.7, No.5, pp 241 - 246.BharatBook, 2009. Kenya Convergence Broadband and Internet Markets. URL http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Kenya-Convergence-Broadband-and-Internet-Markets.html [Accessed 14th October 2009]Centre for Democracy and Technology, 2000. The Digital Divide: Internet Access in Central and Eastern Europe. URLhttp://www.cdt.org/international/ceeaccess/reports.shtml [Accessed 30th November 2009]Centre for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM), 1998. The Internet in Kenya: Impacts andDeveloping. URL cidcm.umd.edu/afrtel/research/papers/internet_in_kenya.pdf [Accessed 12th June 2009]Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), 2008a. Communication Statistic Reports Second Quarter 2008/2009.URL http://www.cck.go.ke/resc/statistics/Sector_Ststistics_Report_Q2_0809.pdf [Accessed 6th November 2009]Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), 2008b. Annual Reports 2007/2008. URLhttp://www.cck.go.ke/resc/publications/annual_reports/CCK_Annual_Report07-08.pdf [Accessed 24th August 2009]63