Today, we at @UCC_Official, under #UCUSAF, were honoured to convene a landmark Stakeholder Dialogue on Strengthening Uganda’s Digital Skills Ecosystem, in partnership with the British Council @BritishCouncil, the British High Commission, and UK International Development. As we celebrate 25 years of extending communications to underserved communities, our focus is evolving. While infrastructure remains crucial, Uganda’s primary bottleneck today is the usage gap. We have vast network capacity across the nation, but we must ensure every Ugandan has the skills and confidence to use it productively. Through deliberate digital skilling interventions, #UCUSAF has directly impacted thousands of lives across Uganda. Targeted digital skills training has empowered over 13,000 women, and grassroots digital skilling initiatives have reached over 11,000 rural community members, including farmers, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Again, we have equipped over 6,000 young people with ICT and multimedia skills for the modern economy, and trained 5,000+ micro, small, and medium enterprises across 20 districts to use digital tools to manage records, expand market reach, and access digital financial services. ICT skilling for teachers and the establishment of ICT clubs in schools have also fostered a culture of innovation and learning. Moving beyond basic digital literacy (navigating apps and search engines), our goal is to build digital skills for employability and enterprise development. Connective infrastructure fulfils its promise only when teachers can deliver richer lessons, farmers can access market prices, and young people secure job opportunities. No single institution can bridge this gap alone. By pooling our strengths across government, telecom operators, tech companies, and civil society, we can make digital literacy more inclusive, practical, and sustainable for all Ugandans. We were particularly privileged to be joined by Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo @Hon_Ssebugwawo, Minister of State for ICT, and by partners from NITA-Uganda @NITAUganda1, academia, the private sector, civil society, and our regulatory peers from Kenya. Thank you to all stakeholders for joining us in building a digitally empowered Uganda.

Two high-level representatives from Group Vivendi Africa, Mr Jean Francios Duboy and Julius Kayoboke, paid a courtesy visit. The main purpose of the visit was to update the Commission on GVA's progress and on its investment in Uganda's ICT sector. In addition, we discussed other key ICT sector issues. I welcomed GVA's continued investment, commended GVA for contributing to market competition and consumer choice, and reiterated the Commission's commitment to a predictable, transparent and enabling regulatory environment that attracts long-term investment while safeguarding consumers. We agreed to maintain open dialogue and collaboration to support the sustainable growth of Uganda's ICT sector.

Today, we held a third constructive dialogue with Wi-Fi/Hotspot operators affiliated with the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), the National Entrepreneurs & Traders Association (NETA), and individuals dealing in the ‘business’. The meeting focused on establishing a balanced path forward that protects consumer interests, safeguards critical infrastructure investments, and promotes fair business practices in the digital space. To achieve a true win-win for both operators and consumers, I outlined key guidelines that must govern industry operations going forward; First, a dedicated industry committee will be created. Because collaboration requires structured dialogue, we will establish a joint committee comprising representatives from @UCC_Official, relevant state agencies, security organs, and 7 (seven) hotspot operators to streamline communication, address operational bottlenecks, and ensure continuous industry engagement. Operators must also comply with mandatory licensing and proper categorisation (for example, community licensing, as defined in the law). Offering telecommunications services without a valid licence is untenable, as licensing is essential to formalise operations, ensure industry sustainability, and reflect the true value derived from business activities. Furthermore, the Commission is introducing clear service categorisation to distinguish between different tiers of operation, such as home-use packages versus commercial resale, ensuring that wholesale, midstream, and downstream costs are fair across the board. A registration link will be created to identify the package type for each group and include costs and registration guidelines. Finally, the framework emphasises strict adherence to fair usage, tax declarations, and network integrity. Sustainable pricing means services must remain affordable, equitable, and compliant with national tax and revenue collection systems. Operators must move away from unfair practices, such as buying home internet packages exclusively for commercial resale, as some have turned it into a business by selling to neighbours, distorting market pricing and compromising overall network quality. We are regulators with a human face who understand the drive required to build a business, but compliance is non-negotiable to protect legitimate enterprises from unfair competition, secure consumer data, combat cyber threats, and ensure that Uganda's digital economy grows on a foundation of fairness. All these efforts are linked to the unconditional, voluntary stoppage of telecom services by unlicensed illegal operators. The seven-day deadline expired on Monday 19th October 2026.