Safaricom Squeezing Life Out of Cyber Business

Safaricom seems to be all over lately. We have a new breed of victim here. The Cyber Cafe Operators. A walk in cybers in Nairobi, Kisumu and Nakuru CBD shows you a different thing over the last one month. Safaricom is running the “Free” or is it “Unlimited” Internet for just Ksh 8?

Majority of the internet users in Kenya are still the Facebook, Email and Social Media users. They don’t spend much in the net and they just need basic services. Though people believe that the majority of the users are the job applicants or so, I agree to an extent. They need jobs but they have particular days they go to the net for that. And it is mostly on Wednesday and Friday when newspapers have the highest number of job adverts.

Cyber operators in Estates and CBD are crying foul over the move by Safcom to offer almost free internet services to the mobile users. Safaricom head of Corporate Communication, Washington Akumu, says that “Its business and there are just lots of things you cant do in the phone. You will still need a PC, Laptop or netbook to do some serious stuff on the net.

But the businessmen are crying of sabotage. They argue that Safaricom provides them with connection and still goes ahead to compete with them. James Wachira who operates a Cyber Business in town says “These are behaviors of a dominant player and it is sad that Safaricom is engaging in these acts of Sabotage”.

What do you think of the move by Safaricom to offer almost free internet to Mobile phone users? Do you think that this is sabotage? Please share with us your experiences.