4G networks roll-out in Kenya

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• People, Love Technology.
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• 4G download speed is 10 times faster than that of 3G network. This means you can download songs, videos and documents in fractions of a second. No more buffering while watching YouTube videos and live-streaming of full movie becomes the norm instead of a privilege.

• Most smartphones and tablets currently in production come with front-camera. With 4G Network, video chatting becomes easier and faster. This will save you the trouble of typing when you are chatting on your phone.

Now in some developed Countries we have 5G in its initial stages of testing. Several European nations like South Korea and Singapore have invested heavily in the 5G networks development, that will totally revolutionize the internet connectivity. One is able to transmit large volumes of data using a much higher frequency band than conventional ones, which would eventually allow users to send massive data files at much faster speeds through their mobile devices.

Internet Speeds in some Asian & European countries

Some several African countries like Ghana, Tanzania & Zimbabwe are on 4G network at the moment. This has enabled video chatting capabilities with most newer smartphones having a front camera o facilitate this. Faster file-sharing, uploads and downloads speeds are greatly improved compared to the 3G network. There is also the gaming capabilities where several users can game at the same time without the usual lags of 3G connectivity.

In Kenya the telecoms are still testing this service before rolling out. Under a public private partnership the service launch is encountering several problems with the private sector blaming the Government for the hick-ups & delays in the roll-out.

current telecoms data graph


For the past few months, we have seen different telecommunication companies invest in laying cables in most parts of the ,major cities in readiness for the high speed connections but have since gone numb on the way forward.

On the other hand internet coverage in most populated estate like East lands and Thika road areas are yet to take up the service due to unavailability of coverage or pricing barriers.


Workers laying underground fiber optic cables

Do we have too many personal interests in the telecoms industry that its hindering our growth? Can we keep up with countries like SA who are on 4G with better speeds on their internet? Do we have proper & updated legislation to govern the telecoms that easily decide for the rest what is going to happen & at what cost?

Some people are of the opinion that the delay is a well organized trick by the major telecoms in order to maximize profits since slower speeds translate to high bandwidth wastage & high revenues for them. 

We hope we will not be in this wait for another year while the developed Countries embrace the 5G networks.

Technology evolution so far. What lays ahead must be mind blowing to think off.

Govt accounts hacked! ..by Anonymous

Who is Anonymous? They are an international network of activists and hackers  (hacktivist) often identified by the Guy Fawkes mask. 

Hacker defined: a person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data.

synonyms:

cybercriminal, pirate, computer criminal, keylogger, keystroke logger; informal cyberpunk, hacktivist.

A week or so ago we witnessed Anonymous in action, when the managed to hack not one but two of Kenya top govt officials twitter accounts...they took control and kept posting for several hours. 

They kept the KOT busy.. Below see one of their postings..

We are #Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
#ExpectUs 

                                                   — Kenya Defence Forces (@kdfinfo) July 21, 2014

According to the Star newspaper,

The government has said that all twitter accounts belonging to the Kenya Defence Forces have been restored.

Accounts belonging to KDF and Major Emmanuel Chirchir, KDF's Protocol and Liaison officer had been hacked into and offensive messages posted late Sunday night.

The hacker questioned the use of funds to acquire weapons for the disciplined forces while Africans are dying hungry. The Ministry of Defence verified account is a source of information for newsrooms both locally and internationally, and it's continued state under the Anonymous hackers raises issues of security of information especially at this time that the military is at war in Somalia and, and conducting security operations in Lamu.

The tweets posted by Anonymous hackers had not yet been taken down on Monday.

Through his twitter handle, Major Chirchir thanked the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit's digital team for recovering the accounts.

Within the hacker subculture there are different subsets: 
White Hats -- claim to be breaching security for non-malicious reasons, to test security systems for vulnerabilities. They are considered ethical hackers, and many companies hire white hats to evaluate their security. 

Black Hats -- are the ones to fear. They may have a political agenda, they are disgruntled and angry, or they may be criminals seeking data to use for financial gain. 

Grey Hats -- are a combination of both, this type of hacker could be your teenage son (or daughter) who just wants to prove that he is smarter than most.  He wants to hack into a site just to prove he can do it. He may not think he is doing anything illegal. 

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