IF YOUR SAVINGS AND LIVELIHOOD DEPEND ON A HOTSPOT, YOU DESERVE A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF THE RULES. Internet resale is a licensable activity. The issue is providing the service without the required authorisation and arrangements. WHAT LAW APPLIES? Section 22 of the Uganda Communications Act, 2013 requires a Commission-issued licence to provide telecommunications services. Under Section 78, providing or operating a telecommunications system or service without a licence is an offence. Upon conviction, the offender may be fined up to 96 currency points (UGX 1.92 million), plus an additional fine of up to UGX 300,000 for each day or part-day the offence continues after conviction. Courts impose these penalties through proceedings; they do not apply automatically. The Uganda Communications (Licensing) Regulations, 2019 set out the licensing framework. The Public Service Provider licences include capacity resale, with regional and national categories. The appropriate authorisation depends on the operation’s activities and scope. WHY DOES THE ISP’S LICENCE NOT COVER THE BUYER? Because buying a service and independently providing a service are different roles. The ISP is authorised to provide connectivity under its licence. If you then establish your own business, sell vouchers, set prices and serve paying customers, you are engaging in a separate service-provision activity. Your subscription receipt does not transfer the ISP’s licence to that business. Likewise, an ISP’s permission to resell covers the supply agreement; it does not, by itself, establish regulatory authorisation. DOES EVERY HOTSPOT SELLER NEED AN INDIVIDUAL LICENCE? That shouldn’t be assumed. An independent reseller is different from a properly established agent operating under an authorised provider’s arrangement. A licensed company may have hotspot owners as authorised agents. @UCC_Official must confirm whether a specific arrangement meets the requirements; simply calling yourself an “agent” isn’t enough. WHAT ARE THE ALLEGED OFFENCES? The central allegation is the unlicensed provision of telecommunications services. Any equipment, spectrum, installation, or other violations require their own applicable provisions and supporting evidence. A router, captive portal, or shared connection alone does not establish every alleged violation. WHY REQUIRE AUTHORISATION? It identifies who is responsible for the service, the applicable technical standards, how customer complaints are handled, reporting obligations, and lawful security requirements. Equipment type approval and permission to use another owner’s infrastructure are separate requirements that also apply. Operators deserve proportionate requirements and practical guidance. A lawful pathway should preserve affordable access and viable livelihoods while ensuring customers know who to contact when something goes wrong. #Tulinamwe