Uganda tells unlicensed Wi-Fi resellers to cease operations or regularize 🇺🇬📶

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Uganda is preparing to crack down on the illegal resale of Wi-Fi connections. In a press release dated October 13, 2026, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the country’s communications regulator, announced a nationwide enforcement operation that it describes as imminent. The target: around 4,000 unlicensed providers that, according to the UCC, buy high-speed internet from operators and resell access to the public. The stated goals are to protect public revenue and restore fair competition among connectivity providers.

The regulator puts the lost tax revenue at roughly 148 billion Ugandan shillings (UGX) a year. It also says these resellers charge about UGX 1,000 per gigabyte, versus UGX 2,000, taxes included, at licensed operators. In the UCC’s view, that is an economic crime rather than affordable internet.

Unlicensed connections put users at risk 🔐

Beyond taxes, the operation raises a technical question: who controls the networks that bring the internet to users? According to the UCC, resellers buy fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fixed wireless access (FWA) service, including 5G FWA, which uses radio links instead of a cable, and resell it without a license. Under Uganda’s 2013 communications law, no one may offer telecom services to the public without a license from the commission.

The UCC says users of these unlicensed services face possible data-privacy and cybersecurity risks, disruptions when enforcement begins, and no recourse if something goes wrong.

That makes data security one of the regulator’s main arguments. A network set up without a license sits outside the quality, security and consumer-protection standards that licensed operators must meet. Users can’t always tell who runs the access point they’re connected to, or what happens to the data passing through it.

The UCC adds that these hotspots sit outside subscriber registration and lawful-interception frameworks, which makes it hard to trace incidents back to their source. For the regulator, the crackdown is part of a broader cybersecurity concern.

UCC urges providers to come into compliance 🌐

The UCC says it remains open to operators willing to comply and obtain the necessary authorizations. Those selling connections outside the rules are urged to shut down immediately or regularize their activity. The authorities say they want to give licensed providers a fairer competitive environment.

The commission is also working with the Uganda Revenue Authority to block imports of telecom equipment by unlicensed operators. The operation is expected to involve identifying and taking down illegal installations and seizing routers, with equipment that can’t be regularized destroyed. The UCC also points to routers mounted without authorization on utility poles and other operators’ infrastructure, which it says has put installers at risk of electrocution.

Talks are already under way. According to a UCC account of an October 20 meeting, the regulator’s executive director announced a multi-stakeholder committee to examine licensing arrangements for Wi-Fi resellers, along with a registration exercise to count them. The Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) asked for the enforcement deadline to be suspended. The UCC said it cannot extend or legitimize unlawful operations, but would give the discussions a chance.

Regulation sits at the center of internet access 🖥️

The case highlights several concerns: protecting public revenue, fair competition, traceability and the security of users’ data. The approach pairs an offer of compliance with announced enforcement measures, including seizures and equipment destruction. Whether it works will depend on enforcing the rules nationwide and on making users aware of the risks of unauthorized connections.

Should authorities tighten controls on Wi-Fi resellers to better protect users’ data, even if those networks sometimes offer cheaper access? Let us know in the comments.