The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has issued a public notice about revocation of Smart Telecom’s licence together with One Solution and Foris Telecom. The affected licences cover Smart Telecom as a public service provider and Public Infrastructure Provider and both One Solution and Foris Telecom as a public service providers.
The notice published in The New Vision daily goes to warn that the above companies can no longer offer telecommunication services in Uganda and members of the public being warned against transacting business with the above parties or to do so at their own peril.The commission has acted in accordance with section 41 of the communications Act 2013. Sources indicate that the licences were revoked due to non payment of annual spectrum charges that all carriers remit to UCC.
It is not yet established as to why the regulator had issued such a strong warning to the public against Smart Telecom and One Solution. On the other hand Foris Telecom wound its operations in Uganda earlier this year which explains the warning. We earlier opined about Vodafone Uganda merging with troubled Smart Telecom again over the weak spots exhibited by the latter that can be exploited by the former to their advantage.
Such peculiar moves are a rarity in the competitive telecoms space in Uganda characterized by exits, buyouts and consolidations with little or no growth especially for new entrants that have to contend with a rough time and resources unseating behemoths like MTN and Airtel. These old guards are battling it out rough which leaves no room for smaller players to play.
Smart Telecom woes are a public secret after qualms about the massive talent exodus happening at the Clement Hill based telco. All this paints a not so rosy picture at the telecom which we can familiarize with the crisis at hand.
We have however learnt that Smart employees are working normally as management resorts out the issue with UCC.
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