UCC headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has offered an olive branch to unlicensed public Wi-Fi operators by unveiling three proposed licensing options to help them regularise their businesses, even as the regulator presses ahead with dismantling illegal installations across the country.
UCC Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo said the commission was exploring ways of integrating informal internet resellers into the formal telecommunications sector rather than permanently shutting down their businesses.
However, he insisted that operators must first discontinue their unauthorised services and dismantle illegal equipment before applying for licences.
The proposals follow a seven-day ultimatum issued on October 13, 2026, requiring unlicensed public Wi-Fi operators to voluntarily remove their routers and related installations or face enforcement action.
Three licensing options unveiled
Under the first proposal, operators would pool resources to establish companies capable of obtaining national Public Service Provider (PSP) licences.
Thembo said operators could organise themselves into one, two or three companies and subsequently operate as agents under the licensed entities.
The arrangement would allow small-scale internet businesses to continue serving customers without each operator having to obtain an expensive national licence independently.
The second option involves introducing community-based licences for operators serving limited geographical areas.
Under this arrangement, a licence could cover a shopping mall, residential neighbourhood or cluster of houses, depending on the regulations eventually adopted.
Thembo said UCC was still considering how to define a community for licensing purposes, drawing comparisons with community radio stations that operate within designated geographical boundaries.
The third option would allow individuals with sufficient financial resources to apply for licences independently, although the commission acknowledged that this route could prove difficult for small operators because of the costs involved.
The proposals are intended to create a pathway through which informal internet resellers can operate legally while maintaining affordable connectivity for their customers.
Registration drive to map informal operators
Beyond the proposed licensing arrangements, UCC has initiated a registration exercise targeting public Wi-Fi hotspot resellers to establish the scale of the informal market and explore how operators can be integrated into the regulated sector.
The commission has also established a specialised committee following engagements with the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) and local Wi-Fi operators.
The committee is expected to examine possible licensing models and recommend how these small businesses can be incorporated into Uganda’s legal framework.
The initiative offers some hope to entrepreneurs, particularly young people who have invested their savings in routers, cables and other equipment to provide internet access in communities where conventional services may be expensive or less accessible.
However, registration does not automatically grant operators permission to continue providing unlicensed services. They must first comply with the commission’s directive before their applications for legal operation can be considered.
Crackdown continues despite olive branch
Despite the proposed licensing arrangements, UCC has made it clear that its enforcement campaign will not be suspended.
Thembo ruled out negotiations with operators who continue providing unauthorised services, arguing that allowing them to remain operational would undermine the licensing framework.
“We cannot be in negotiation with a person who is breaking the law. We can only issue licences to people who first discontinued their illegal operations,” he said.
“We cannot carry on when illegal operations still exist. It doesn’t work, because where will one get the motivation to get a licence when they are still operating normally?” he added.
Under the October 13 directive, operators were given seven days to remove their routers and related equipment voluntarily. Those who failed to comply risked having their equipment seized, with UCC warning that it could seek court permission to destroy confiscated installations.
The voluntary dismantling window gives operators an opportunity to recover and secure their equipment before enforcement teams intervene, potentially reducing their financial losses.
Revenue concerns drive enforcement
UCC’s campaign is partly motivated by concerns about government revenue losses, infrastructure safety and national security.
Figures cited in the crackdown put potential annual government tax revenue losses associated with the informal market at approximately Shs148 billion. The commission has also said the informal operations assessed failed all 11 regulatory checks.
Some operators have reportedly mounted routers on electricity poles and telecommunications infrastructure without authorisation, exposing technicians to electrocution risks and complicating maintenance work.
The commission has further warned that networks operating outside established subscriber-registration systems create security vulnerabilities and complicate regulatory oversight.
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