Telecommunication regulation in Kenya a case for generic reforms due to convergence in ICT (information communication technologies).

Abstract

The continuous evolution of new technologies results in the inability to predict the future development of convergence. The development of new services like web casting and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoiP) or internet telephony, requires the need for regulations which does not aim to predict the future but aspires to be flexible enough to accommodate and propagate any permutation and combination of technologies and services. The changing nature and orientation of communications enterprises creates new challenges for regulators. For instance, Internet service providers are providing audiovisual contents while telecommunication companies are moving into content and broadcasting areas. This trend towards horizontal and vertical integrated enterprises can be explained by the search of economies of scope and scale, reduced transactions costs and simulation of innovation in the production of new services.