UCC denies involvement in Wi-Fi hotspot arrests, promises business streamlining

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo has distanced the regulator from recent arrests of public Wi-Fi hotspot operators in several Kampala suburbs.

The crackdown, Thembo said, was triggered by complaints from licensed internet companies.

Thembo said UCC had not arrested any hotspot operators as reported in some media platforms, without the Commission remaining concerned over unlicensed public internet services.

“We as UCC have not arrested anyone, but as you know, these companies, Internet service providers, have the ability to have you arrested if you interfere with your business without authorisation,” he said in a televised interview on Monday.

A police operation kicked off days ago targeting unauthorised Wi-Fi resellers in Kasangati, Kawaala, Kasubi and Kawempe. 

Officers confiscated routers, cables, boosters and other equipment from operators accused of selling internet without regulatory approval or attaching equipment to telecom infrastructure without consent.

Thembo, however, defended the crackdown, describing the wifi business as parasitic. 

“What I have heard, which I will investigate, is that there have been people who have been selling Wi-Fi through hotspots, while tapping the networks of those licensed companies. So it seems those companies sounded an alarm about this theft to the police,” he said.

He said the commission’s wider concern was that public internet services were being sold without licences and through equipment that had not been approved by the regulator.

“The communication business, like any other business, has to be conducted after licensing. Now, who licensed these public Wi-Fi hotspot providers?” he asked.

“Besides, the equipment you are using has to be type approved. We have to know the science behind these devices in order to protect our networks,” he said.

The regulator had earlier announced a nationwide enforcement campaign against unlicensed public Wi-Fi providers in July. 

At the time, UCC said such operators exposed consumers to unreliable services, data privacy risks and cyber threats. It also told providers to regularise their businesses or stop operating. 

However, Thembo said UCC had since opted to slow enforcement while studying how the hotspot business works.

“Recently I invited the people involved in the hotspot business and we talked, and I decided to dial back on enforcement, to first study the business,” he said.

He said the commission expects to announce a new regulatory direction within two weeks

Thembo indicated that the business would not be banned outright, but operators would have to meet licensing and equipment standards.

“But what you have to know is that no such business will be allowed without licence. You will also be required to bring all your equipment to us to be examined, to ensure that they do not disrupt other lines,” he said.

He also accused some hotspot operators of installing boosters and other equipment on poles belonging to telecom companies without permission.

“We have also learnt that you are hanging your boosters on other people’s poles without their permission,” he said.

Telecommunications companies have raised similar concerns, saying unauthorised attachments can damage infrastructure, complicate maintenance and cause service interruptions. MTN Uganda has said it does not oppose community internet businesses but wants its infrastructure protected from unauthorised use

Thembo acknowledged that hotspot businesses had helped provide cheap internet, but argued that lower prices were partly possible because some operators were avoiding licensing, taxes and infrastructure costs.

“It is true that you are providing cheap internet, but that is because you have not significantly invested in this service. It is like selling looted goods,” he said.

“You have not been licensed; you do not pay taxes or fees, do not follow any standards and so on.”

The crackdown comes as demand for cheaper neighbourhood internet continues to grow, particularly in densely populated Kampala suburbs.