Page 8 - The Environmentalist
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communication firm, a move that is seen The Senate Committee on ICT, while on
to improve the communication services a fact-finding tour of the area observed
within the area. that there was a lack of connectivity,
A base transceiver station (BTS) is a despite the Communications Authority
piece of equipment that facilitates insisting that more than 98 percent of
wireless communication between user Kenya is connected. Connectivity is es-
equipment (UE) and a network. UEs are pecially important in the bandit attack
devices like mobile phones (handsets), hotspots. Lack of coverage in the area
WLL phones and computers with wireless has cost many lives in bandit attacks,
Internet connectivity. The network can mostly by Somali pastoralists. It was ob-
be that of any of the wireless commu- served that although the area suffers
nication technologies like GSM, CDMA, bandit attacks, there is no way to relay
wireless local loop, Wi-Fi, WiMAX or other information to security officers in real
wide area network (WAN) technology. time. The senators said lack of mobile
Safaricom Plc. wrote to GKC expressing service put residents at risk and has hurt
their interest for the lease of the prop- services and development.
erty and consequently, an agreement
was signed paving way for the installa-
tion of a BTS on the site.
This is a major boost for the Mwingi
community in Mwingi for improving the
infrastructure and economic growth.
7 The Environmentalist dec 2018
