January 18, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has put on hold the authorised partial disconnection of Globacom by MTN over unpaid debt.
The NCC said this in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, the director of public affairs of the Commission, on Wednesday.
The Commission had on 8 January said it had approved the partial disconnection of Globacom to MTN due to a non-settlement of interconnect charges.
The partial disconnection, according to the Commission, means that Globacom’s subscribers will no longer be able to make calls to MTN, but will be able to receive calls to the Globacom network.
The Commission explained that at the expiration of 10 days from the date of the notice, disconnection will be implemented.
But in its statement issued on Wednesday, the Commission said it has put the phased disconnection on hold for 21 (twenty-one) days from 17 January.
The Commission said it expects MTN and Glo to resolve all outstanding issues within 21 days.
“On 8 January 2024 the Nigerian Communications Commission published a Pre-Disconnection Notice informing subscribers of the approval granted to MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (MTN) to commence the phased disconnection of Globacom Limited (Glo) with effect from 18 January 2024 due to long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties,” Mr Muoka said.
In granting the approval, he said the Commission was deeply conscious of the potential impacts of the decision on consumers and therefore continued to engage both parties to facilitate a resolution which prioritizes and protects consumer interest and the seamless operation of the national telecoms network.
“The commission is pleased to announce that the parties have now reached an agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them.
“For this reason, and in the exercise of its regulatory powers in that regard, the Commission has put the phased disconnection on hold for a period of 21 (twenty-one) days from today, 17 January 2024,” he said
Mr Muoka noted that it is obligatory that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees in the telecom industry keep to the terms and conditions of their licenses, especially as contained in their interconnection agreements.
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
