Orange Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein has called on search giant Google to consider sharing revenues accrued from traffic which runs on other providers’ networks in order to enhance partnerships and the development of the digital ecosystem. “Partnerships are key between the various providers. Revenue share between Google and mobile network operators is necessary as Google’s services and traffic utilize our networks. Google has to pay us as you can’t use the Orange network – which is like a highway for Google – without paying a fee to us to maintain the network,” said Ghossein.
Telkom Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein shakes hands with Google Kenya country manager Joseph Mucheru
The Orange Kenya CEO was part of the panel which focused on key players’ strategies for 2013 and beyond in East Africa; building on improved networks to deliver more advanced services, as well as new business models and partnerships to seize the opportunities in the region. In mid 2010, several EU operators – including Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom – called on Google to start paying them for carrying content such as YouTube videos on their networks. The network operators said that the search giant “should share some of its online advertising revenue with carriers to compensate them for the billions of euros they are investing in fixed-line and mobile infrastructure to increase download speeds and network capacity,” further calling on industry regulators to step in to supervise a settlement if no revenue sharing deal is possible between the parties.
