UCC announces three licensing options for public Wifi providers

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has unveiled three licensing options for operators of public WiFi hotspots, offering a path to legalise their businesses as authorities continue a crackdown on illegal installations.

UCC executive director George William Nyombi Thembo announced the proposals on Tuesday, but insisted that operators must first dismantle their unauthorised equipment before seeking licences.

The options include forming companies to obtain national licences, applying for smaller community-based licences or securing individual licences.

Under the first arrangement, WiFi operators would pool resources to establish companies capable of obtaining national public service provider licences.

Mr Thembo said operators, particularly those already running payment systems, could organise themselves into one, two or three companies and operate as agents under the licensed entities.

This would allow small WiFi businesses to continue serving customers without each operator having to secure a national licence.

The second option involves introducing community licences for operators serving limited geographical areas.

However, Mr Thembo said UCC was still considering how to define a community for purposes of WiFi licensing.

He compared the proposal to community radio stations, which operate within designated geographical boundaries.

Under the proposed arrangement, a community WiFi licence could cover a shopping mall, a residential neighbourhood or a cluster of houses, depending on the final regulations.

The third option would allow individuals with sufficient financial resources to apply for licences independently.

Mr Thembo acknowledged that this route could prove difficult for small operators because of the resources required.

UCC, however, maintained that the ongoing operation to remove illegal public WiFi installations would continue.

Mr Thembo said operators must stop providing unauthorised services before the commission can consider bringing them into the formal licensing system.

He ruled out negotiations with operators who continue running illegal hotspots, arguing that allowing them to remain in business would undermine efforts to enforce licensing requirements.

"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 said.

The announcement follows an ultimatum issued by UCC on October 13, 2026, giving illegal WiFi operators seven days to remove their routers and related equipment voluntarily.

The regulator warned that enforcement teams would seize equipment belonging to operators who failed to comply and could seek court permission to destroy it.

UCC has raised concerns about operators mounting routers on electricity poles and telecommunications infrastructure without permission.

The commission says such installations expose technicians to electrocution, interfere with electricity maintenance and create security risks because some networks operate outside established subscriber registration systems.