Sovaya Broadband Internet

RE: Internet Broadband Service Offer.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce you to our Organization. Sovaya was established in 2004 as a Wireless Local Loop Operator. We are a Wireless broadband service provider that combines carrier-grade toughness with exceptional performance, security, ease-of-use, and scalability. More information on the company is available on request.

Sovaya provides multiple services such as high speed Internet, IP video surveillance, Voice over Internet Protocol, and network to homes and businesses over a fixed WiFi wireless broadband platform.

To achieve these Sovaya communication has adopted a wide range of products to complement established businesses and provide complex systems solutions to the IT world.
We have formed business alliance with major players in the IT industry and have trained personnel to meet the demands of our clients.

Our Product Offerings

Wireless Internet services
Surveillance IP cameras
E-mail services

1. Internet services

We offer wireless internet connectivity.

We do not charge;

installation fee or equipment cost

2. Surveillance cameras

We provide Sovaya IP solutions.

IP surveillance uses internet to transmit images to enable remote viewing and recording from anywhere in the world.

Other advantages include;

Remote accessibility
Easy future proof integration
Scalability and flexibility
Cost effectiveness

3. Email services

Email has become an integral part of everyday communication for both business and personal use. We offer the following services:

Domain registration
Domain transfers
Mail servers for corporate clients
Outlook configuration
Personal Sovaya email

4. Bandwidth
Our standard Service Offerings are in Shared Bandwidth.

Dedicated Bandwidth is available on request.

Service Offerings:

STANDARD BANDWIDTH OFFERS Monthly Charge
Pay per usage Kshs. 1 per/min
64 kbps uplink/160 kbps downlink Kshs. 4,002.00
128 kbps uplink/256 kbps downlink Kshs. 9,280.00
128 kbps uplink/386 kbps downlink Kshs. 14,442.00
256 kbps uplink/512 kbps downlink Kshs. 22,040.00
320 kbps uplink/700 kbps downlink Kshs. 29,000.00
512 kbps uplink/1 mb downlink Kshs. 40,600.00
1 mb kbps uplink/2 mb downlink Kshs. 72,268.00

DEDICATED BANDWIDTH OFFERS Monthly Charge
Pay per usage Kshs. 1 per/min
256 kbps uplink/256 kbps downlink Kshs. 18,560.00
512 kbps uplink/512 kbps downlink Kshs. 34,800.00
1 MB uplink/1MB downlink Kshs. 60,320.00
128 kbps uplink/256 kbps downlink Kshs. 91,640.00
kbps uplink/512 kbps downlink Kshs. 108,576.00

We can also custom tailor the service to specific demand.

We do not charge you any installation fee and we do not charge you for the equipment either.
All prices are inclusive of 16%vat.

Thanks.
Regards,

Tobias Otieno Obura

Sovaya Communications Ltd.

Mobile: 0721 992 457

tobias@sovaya.com

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Vote for Your Kenyan ISP

Fellow Kenyans……….we are chronicling the build up of post fibre optic cable connections. We would like you to vote for your ISP below. This is more of a poll to see WHO is providing WHAT. So go ahead and vote. Also put your comments to enlighten us. Talk about sales service, connection, setup, configuration, after sales service, and the service delivery in general.

Bring it out in the open, so that the ISPs can start waking up! Thanks in advance.

Broadband Kenya: Dr. Bitange Ndemo Cracks The Whip

Our beloved government has woken up and smelt the coffee. We need real broadband, not lofty adverts by ISPs about how “connected” they are and how many kilometres of fibre thay have laid in various places.

Information Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo said on Tuesday that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were still making obscene profits from the high cost of bandwidth despite the operationalisation of the fibre optic cables.

“They are being mischievous. We have been talking about $6000 per Megabyte, telling us that they are lowering to $600 which from our calculation their payback would be in less than six months that is not what we want,” he stressed.

It was widely believed that with the coming live of the SEACOM and The East African Marine System (TEAMS) cable, the cost of bandwidth would come down significantly but this has not happened.

Yes Daktari, read the riot act. We need real broadband connections, not advertising and endless “promotions” hoodwinking us to buy “bundles” and all manner of monthly contracts. When you get home, fire up your PC and connect, nothing. You actually miss your old dial-up line, at least it worked at a certain low speed, and you got what you expected.

“We have many options but it’s always good to leave the competition to push the pricing down, but it doesn’t the regulator (Communication Commission of Kenya), would step in,” the PS emphasised. Mr PS, please ensure the CCK steps in now.

Dr. Ndemo did not stop there, read on.

He said the argument that the providers have increased capacity for the same pricing is not valid since majority of Kenyans cannot access affordable and after internet connectivity.

“That is nonsense. If Kenyans are not able to afford, then I’m not happy because for me to ensure that the economy grows it is to make broadband available to Kenyans. But now it cannot be used, not many people have this in their homes,” he complained.

Yes Dr, we need to cut out this nonsense!

Moving on, we also need Kenyans to stop sitting on their laurels and do something about connecting themselves to the information superhighway, creating content and addding value to the body of knowledge. Being mere consumers of pre-packaged, pro-Western content is unhealthy.

That is my 2-cents worth, what is yours? Comment below.

Joomla Site Support

We are looking to engage a full time Joomla Site Support resource to
manage our web portals developed in Joomla. We shall enter into a
formal contract for the services to be rendered. Remuneration will be
commensurate with skills, expertise and experience. The resource
should be able to work from anywhere, with ocassional corporate
meetings to discuss business related to their support work. Here is a
brief of the deliverables expected.

Joomla Technical Support

Joomla website testing
Keep content updated
Repair broken/dead links
Add new pages as needed
Product changes and additions as required
Installing and configuring new ad-ons (components and modules)
Update event calendars, breaking news, and photos
Update classifieds section with approved content
Addition of breaking news or upcoming events
Addition of photos, graphics, graphs, charts etc
Site face lifts and makeovers as required
Manage and maintain the homepage fresh for good turn over of customers
Routine finding and fixing of any bugs
Website accessibility, usability & security evaluations
Testing after every edit
General troubleshooting
Full weekly backup copy of data stored off site
Availability on short notice for urgent support work.

This position is to be filled immediately.

Broadband Internet-Ready 3-br Apartment For Sale

See details on their website here.

Location : Riara Rd, Lavington

Bedrooms: 3 no. (1 ensuite)

Large L-shaped sitting / dining room

Bedrooms with fitted MDF wardrobes

Kitchen with fitted cupboards, double sink (with instant water heater)

Bathrooms – instant heater shower, instant water heater in WHB

Unlimited broadband Internet installed

Tiled wash area

Balcony with great views

Tiled floor

Common Areas

Perimeter stone wall with electric fence
On site guards with radio and alarm backup
Gazebo and grassed play area for children
Parking space
NW&SC connection and borehole for endless water supply with 1×1000 litres tank and 1×4000 litres tank on ground, 1×1000 litres on roof top
Well-lit common areas
Flower gardens and many trees on site
Common areas cleaned and maintained

Is Safaricom Internet Screaming Fast?

Just got off the superhighway using Safaricom Bambanet, and my tyres are still smoking! I still cannot believe the speeds I experienced! Have the speeds increased, nay, skyrocketed? It was too fast for a typical Kenyan like me who is used to snail speed Internet.

What is the experience of you Bambaneters? How is the speed? Is your airtime getting finished too fast? Does anyone know how Safaricom calculate the actual download / upload usage?

Some users are aghast at the speed, not of the connection, but of the airtime being depleted at speeds greater than those inside the fibre optic cable.

Enlighten us people. What’s your experience?

Kenya on The Global Fibre Optic Map, Finally

Seacom has gone live! Finally. I was to break the champagne bottle on 27th June 2009, but July 23 is still OK. Read more from Daily Nation.

Internet broadband has become a reality in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda for the first time after one of the four awaited undersea cables was finally switched on today (Thursday).

The Seacom cable went live simultaneously in the four countries in addition to South Africa, and the Kenya portion of the cable was immediately connected to five internet service providers.

However, Seacom officials declined to name the ISPs because their customer contracts barred them from revealing such information.

Seacom, a privately-funded consortium, laid the cable at a cost of US$865m (Sh67 billion at current exchange rates). It is due to be connected to Rwanda in two weeks.

The commissioning was marked with a live telecast by Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam with the media in Kampala, Maputo, Johannesburg, London and Marseille.

“The arrival of this cable signals the beginning of a new era in the telecommunications sector,” said Mr Kikwete.

“History has been made.”

Cisco Systems vice-president Le Roux, whose firm provided the technology for the cable, said: ” “Today is the day technology has arrived in Africa.”

Seacom announced that it would offer wholesale prices in the range of $100 (Sh7,700 ) per megabyte, with even more subsidised costs of between $10-$25 (Sh770-Sh1,925) dollars to schools, and research and health institutions.

“I can emphatically state that broadband will change the connectivity and economy of Africa,” said Seacom president Brian Herlihy in a live feed from the Tanzanian capital.

Five yet-to-be-named internet players were the first to access the 6,500 kilometre-cable following the switch and will now connect their equipment to the marine cable as they prepare to link offices and homes.

Sovaya on Fire?

Another baby on the block….Sovaya. They are sprouting every day. I log on to their website, and this is what they say……

Get instant wireless broadband connectivity on demand!

With a network covering the whole of Nairobi and its environs, all you need is your Sovaya recharge card and you will be surfing at speeds that leave you breathless!

Whether it’s home or office, we have you covered.
Good thing there are no speed limits online!

– NO installation costs – NO monthly standing charge – No equipment costs
– NO bandwidth quotas – Pay only for what you use

and so on and so forth………Lots of exclamation marks.

As your resident skeptic, I lifted the phone and called their office (since am always wary of website details accuracy by service providers in Kenya). A couple of rings later am talking to Margaret….the call drops, quick redial, we are on, and she walks me through the cocktail of services they are offering. I ask many questions trying to cross check the details and she handles them well. If only they could do something about the echo on their landline, but then again maybe thats just me.

Here is the low down, from the horses mouth, disregard the website story.

If you are in the right neighbourhood, you should get the signal via your WiFi card. Then you will not need any terminal equipment on your premises. If not, you have to pay KES. 4,000 (refundable) for the equipment, repeat you have to pay some caution money ;-), yes I said disregard the website story. The installation will not cost anything, they promise.

After you are hooked up, you either sign up for the bundles below (by visiting their office in Soin Arcade, Westlands), or you buy pay-as-you-use cards via M-Pesa. The instructions on how to pay using M-Pesa shall appear on the landing page.

Bundles are as below;

Small Residential – KES. 4,080 incl. VAT for 32kbps / 128kbps (uplink/downlink)
Large Residential – KES. 5,800 incl. VAT for 64kbps / 128kbps (uplink/downlink)
Small Business    – KES. 9,280 incl. VAT for 64kbps / 128kbps (uplink/downlink)
Small Corporate   – KES. 16,240 incl. VAT for 128kbps / 256kbps (uplink/downlink)
Large Corporate  – KES. 27,840 incl. VAT for 128kbps / 512kbps (uplink/downlink)

So there you have it….unless you are interested in home surveillance, business surveillance, home telephony, business telephony, entertainment and something called super directory. Since I don’t like paying for equipment, am already unhappy with this setup. But then again, thats just me.

Sovaya…….bridge the digital divide. Call them on : 020 2365283, 0736 512164, 0713 078405 else, Email : info@sovaya.com, or walk to Soin Arcade next time you are in Westlands.

Anybody on Sovaya? Lets hear if they are really on fire.

The Fibres are Coming!

Seacom have promised to pop the champagne corks on 27th June 2009. Mark that on your diaries people. This is the story form their website  (http://www.seacom.mu/news/news_details.asp?iID=57)

Brian Herlihy, SEACOM President, said: “We are delighted to have actual cable in the water and the count-down to June has begun.

“We have made tremendous progress since our groundbreaking in Mozambique last November and we can now sense a real level of excitement for SEACOM’s arrival. Through my travels, I continuously meet people who speak about the many ways they intend to exploit the world of broadband which is about to reach Africa.

“I am also most pleased with our recruitment successes and the fact that SEACOM was able to source the necessary skills to operate the cable from African talent. We are inundated with highly qualified candidates and hiring almost all of our employees from African labour pools.”

From June 2009, southern and eastern Africa will finally get truly connected to international broadband networks. Plentiful and readily available bandwidth will result in lower telecommunications costs and new opportunities across many sectors that will include the call center and business process outsourcing industries. Other life-enhancing disciplines such as educational, clinical and scientific research, which rely on the real-time sharing of data around the world, will also become a reality for many Africans organisations.

They go on to say

SEACOM has also been preparing to provide services to customers by June and recruited over ten experienced local telecommunications professionals from India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania to operate and maintain the cable stations. Many of these personnel have already been trained at the SEACOM Network Operations Centre in India and are now participating in the testing of the system as it is being installed. A complementary set of personnel is being recruited and will start training in March. These teams will also work with the landing partners’ operators in Egypt and Djibouti. SEACOM is pleased to have been able to tap into the huge resource of talented young African telecommunication professionals, who are now ready to provide customers with the required support from June onwards. Project progress here http://www.seacom.mu/progress/progress.html

So moving on………….

The question, fellow Kenyans is, what shall we do with ALL that bandwidth? ISPs, are you preparing the last mile to our offices, scholols, colleges, universities, hospitals, and homes ? Are you packaging solutions for us? We do not eant to waste time with the fibre optic cable landed and terminated in M0mbasa.

What think you, fellow Kenyan?

Anyone for Tangerine?

The new kid is Tangerine, a Lonrho-house based ISP that is promising “Broadband. Experience more”. There are the usual promises of “real” broadband using Wimax technology. Sounds great to me, so far.

Business packages are as below. For the Premium plan for large corporations, you would have to call for pricing.
512 MB 5,120/=
1Gig 10,200/=
2Gig 20,400/=
3Gig 30,600/=
5Gig 51,000/=
All prices exclusive of VAT and taxes.

The business plans, enjoy video/radio streaming, chat, emails and speeds upto 1 mbps download! You are also priviledged to 5 free email addresses*, free domain
switching*, free anti-virus. Anti spam protection (* subject to subscription of 2Gigs and higher)

Residential broadband solutions are as follows.

64 kbps 4,900/=
128 kbps 7,900/=
256 kbps 15,900/=
512 kbps 19,900/=
All prices exclusive of VAT and taxes.

CoolCONNECT residential package allows you always on-connection, shop online, video / audio streaming, chat, leisure browsing

Beyond that they offer domain name registration, web hosting, virtual private networks and point-to-point links.

Let us wait and see the uptake of this service. Tangerine contact : Tel: + 254-(02) 341760/2, Fax: +254-(0) 3417267, E-mail: sales@tangerine.co.ke

Does anyone have any experience with Tangerine?