Telcos oppose changes to ‘.ke’ Internet identity

By Macharia  Kamau

Players in the telecommunications industry have opposed plans to commercialise the management and administration of the dot ke domain name. They said while there is need to overhaul the Kenya Network Information Centre (Kenic) – which manages the domain name, they are opposed to its commercialisation.

 And instead, the telcos want the name to remain under the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK), which is transiting to Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK).

CCK wants to delink itself from the running of the organisation and is giving up its seat on Kenic board.

It further proposes the change of Kenic from a non-profit organisation to a commercial entity. The regulator has put out the proposals for stakeholder input until next month.

certain aspects

However, the industry lobby, Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) said it is opposed to certain aspects including commercialising the management of dot ke.

“If CAK attempts to take the commercialisation approach without due consideration of TESPOK, we will have no choice but put ICANN on notice that any attempt at re-delegation does not have the support of the industry or any of the stakeholders,” said Kris Senanu, Tespok chairman.

“We have no problem with CAK proposing another government entity to take up the government involvement but it will not support commercialisation.”

ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers)   has the responsibility of receiving requests for delegation and re-delegation of top-level domains, investigating the circumstances pertinent to those requests and reporting on the requests. Kenic gets its rights to administer the dot ke domain from ICANN, a global Internet governance body.

According to CCK, the dot ke registry operated by a commercial entity will spur the required growth, and thus the adoption and development of e-Commerce and e-Transactions-related services.