Uganda has launched a crackdown on local internet operators accused of illegally tapping fibre networks belonging to licensed telecommunications companies and using the connections to sell Wi-Fi services to customers without authorisation.
ICT and National Guidance Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba told Parliament that the operators targeted in the enforcement operation were providing internet services without licences from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
She said the operators were connecting their equipment to existing fibre infrastructure and then using the bandwidth to supply internet to customers in their respective areas, without informing or obtaining permission from the companies that owned the connections.
“They’ve connected themselves illegally on the fibre, and they are selling without even informing the owners of the services they are using,” Lumumba told Parliament.
The operators typically provide local Wi-Fi services, buying or accessing internet capacity and distributing it to households, shops, offices and other users within a neighbourhood or community.
Complaints trigger enforcement
Lumumba said complaints from established telecommunications companies, particularly MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda, had prompted the enforcement action involving the UCC, Police and the affected service providers.
The minister said the issue was not simply the provision of affordable local internet, but whether operators had obtained the necessary regulatory authorisation and had a legitimate arrangement with the owners of the fibre infrastructure they were using.
The UCC is responsible for regulating Uganda’s communications sector, including licensing operators that provide electronic communications services.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said operators should comply with the law.
“So people are tapping, and please, let them follow the law,” Tayebwa said.
The crackdown could affect a growing number of neighbourhood-based internet businesses that install routers and distribute Wi-Fi connectivity to customers within limited geographical areas.
Such operators have become an increasingly visible part of Uganda’s internet market, particularly in areas where customers seek cheaper alternatives to individual mobile-data subscriptions.
The government has not disclosed the number of local Wi-Fi operators targeted in the current operation or the penalties imposed on those found operating without the required licences.
The enforcement also puts the spotlight on the distinction between legitimate internet resellers operating under agreements with licensed providers and unauthorised operators accessing telecom infrastructure without permission.
