WDM EDITORIAL
None of the existing phone companies can link up or communicate with any of the others. Even warlords in the height of the Somali Civil War could communicate with each other on common issues. The problem of telecoms here is exacerbated when you have air money (electronic money) to pay for goods and services because the merchant you are dealing with uses a different phone company that doesn’t accept your payment. It is like trying to use a credit card that isn’t acceptable to a restaurant or a shop owner as frustrating and inconvenient as it may be to you. It doesn’t make any business sense for some of one’s potential customers to be locked out of the network.
A government also exists as a regulatory body. But when its leaders are corrupt, telecompanies bribe them to keep the status quo. This is exactly what is happening here. As an example, when I was requested to help officials of Villa Somalia years back for only ten days because they needed my expertise badly at the time, phone companies in Mogadishu started competing for my attention. I turned down all their bribing attempts. They tried to offer me free expensive smartphones to start with. They were disappointed in me. So be it.
You could think that Somalia wouldn’t be fixed until telecom problems of lack of interconnectivity is resolved. Until then we will be dealing with the uncompromising technology warlords of modern telecommunications in this country, and it implies that Somalia is a long way to heal to achieve the elusive peace and prosperity we all aspire to.
(This editorial was drafted today on the go on a rough road from Eyl/Baddey to Garowe, Puntland State capital City).
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 