UCC forms committee to explore licensing for WiFi hotspot resellers

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has formed a multi-stakeholder committee to examine how public WiFi hotspot resellers could be licensed, as the regulator moves against unlicensed operators.

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo announced the committee on Tuesday at a meeting in Kampala with members of the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) who run WiFi hotspot businesses.

He said the committee would look at possible licensing arrangements for resellers, with a view to identifying a lawful framework under which eligible operators could continue to do business.

Nyombi Thembo also announced a registration exercise for all WiFi hotspot resellers. According to UCC, the exercise will record their number, locations, equipment and other operational details, to help the commission understand the scale of the businesses and guide further engagement.

On the compliance deadline the commission had already set, he said UCC could not extend or legitimise unlawful operations. However, he said it would give the ongoing discussions an opportunity to explore possible solutions.

KACITA Chairperson Issa Ssekito, reading a statement on behalf of the hotspot operators, asked UCC to suspend the enforcement deadline to allow time for consultations.

The traders also asked the commission to tell them which licence or regulatory arrangement they should use to bring their businesses into compliance.

The meeting follows a press conference last week at which UCC, working with licensed internet service providers, operators and government agencies, announced targeted enforcement against illegal public WiFi providers. At the time, Nyombi Thembo said the commission would engage hotspot operators on ways to regularise their businesses.

UCC said the enforcement is intended to ensure that all providers of public internet services operate within the law and meet standards of accountability, service quality and reliability.