By Ben Musanje
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has banned the unauthorized resale of internet services, giving public Wi-Fi hotspot operators seven days to voluntarily remove their routers and related equipment or risk having them seized and destroyed.
UCC Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo announced the ultimatum on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, during a joint press conference with telecommunications industry stakeholders at UCC House in Bugolobi, Kampala.
Thembo said the Commission had completed its assessment of unlicensed Wi-Fi hotspot operations and was ready to begin nationwide enforcement against operators who purchase internet services from licensed telecommunications companies and resell them to the public without the required authorization.
He urged hotspot providers to dismantle their installations voluntarily within the seven-day period, warning that those who wait for enforcement teams could permanently lose their equipment.
“Please, help us. And yesterday (Monday) we agreed that we give you seven days to do that. After that, enforcement will begin in earnest everywhere,” Thembo said.
He advised operators to remove and safely store their routers themselves as UCC explores alternative arrangements that could allow them to participate in the telecommunications sector legally.
The regulator warned that equipment removed by enforcement teams would not necessarily be returned to its owners. Instead, UCC intends to seek court permission to destroy equipment deemed to have been used in illegal installations.
“Because when we pull them down, you’ll never get them back,” Thembo said.
The seven-day ultimatum follows an earlier UCC statement issued on July 9, 2026, concerning public Wi-Fi hotspots. Thembo said the Commission had initially delayed enforcement after meeting hotspot operators and identifying issues that required further examination.
However, following subsequent consultations and an assessment of the business model, he said the regulator was satisfied that it understood the operations and was ready to act.
UCC estimates that approximately 4,000 unlicensed public Wi-Fi hotspot providers are operating across Uganda, with the number increasing daily.
The operators typically purchase high-speed internet connections, including fiber-to-the-home broadband and fixed wireless access, before redistributing and selling connectivity to individual customers.
The Commission maintains that the practice amounts to providing telecommunications services to the public without a license, contrary to the Uganda Communications Commission Act, 2013.
Thembo said a nationwide enforcement exercise would involve identifying illegal installations, dismantling them and seizing routers and related equipment. Installations that cannot be regularized could ultimately be destroyed in accordance with the law.
He also warned that customers using the affected hotspots could experience internet disruptions as licensed network operators intensify efforts to identify connections being used for unauthorized reselling.
According to Thembo, telecommunications operators can now detect approximately 80 per cent of unusual usage patterns associated with hotspot reselling, making it easier to identify the connections.
He cautioned customers against paying for services that could become unavailable without notice, urging them to obtain internet connectivity directly from providers licensed by UCC.
The Commission argues that unlicensed hotspots expose consumers to risks involving service quality, data privacy and cybersecurity because the providers operate outside the established consumer protection framework.
It has also raised concerns about routers installed on electricity poles and infrastructure belonging to other telecommunications operators without the necessary authorization, warning that some installations have created safety hazards and interfered with maintenance work.
Although UCC has expressed willingness to explore a legal pathway for hotspot operators, Thembo insisted that their current unlicensed operations must stop.
He said the Commission would not allow the continued provision of public communications services outside the law, urging operators to comply voluntarily before enforcement teams begin removing their equipment.
The ultimatum places thousands of hotspot operators under pressure to dismantle their installations within seven days or risk losing the equipment on which their businesses depend. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
