With the liberalisation of the market and establishment of ISPs, access to the Internet is now widespread, but many people still have neither telephones nor electricity.

This is a limiting factor to accessing the World Wide Web. Many more cannot afford personal computers. Since many people do not have fixed telephone lines, computers or electricity, Internet shops — cyber cafes — provide access to the Internet and e-mail.

CCK: The regulator

It is the country’s communications regulator established by the Kenya Communications Act (1998) and Kenya Communications Regulations (2001). CCK commenced operations in 1999, taking over the regulatory duties of the defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC), which managed the radio frequency resource and issued radio communication licenses. On March 31, 2006, the Government gazetted ICT Sector Policy Guidelines that proposed CCK as the converged regulator for the sector. This was realised when the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act was enacted in 2008, further broadening the scope of the industry regulator. Like many regulators all over the world, CCK is tasked with several duties — licensing players, managing frequencies, setting inter-connection rates, overseeing the numbering.