The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced the suspension of the phased disconnection process between Globacom and the MTN network.
In a statement issued by Dr. Reuben Muoka, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, it was disclosed that the suspension would be in effect for a period of 21 days. This timeframe allows Globacom and MTN to address any outstanding issues and come to a resolution.
The NCC underscored the importance of settling interconnect debts for all operating companies to fulfill their regulatory obligations as licensees.
The statement read, “The commission is pleased to announce that the parties have now reached agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them. For this reason, and in 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. The commission expects MTN and Glo to resolve all outstanding issues within the 21-day period.”
The commission insisted that settling interconnect debts is a necessary component for compliance with the regulatory obligations of all licensees in the telecom industry. It emphasised the obligation for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees to adhere to the terms and conditions of their licences, particularly those contained in their interconnection agreements.
The NCC had earlier issued a pre-disconnection notice, informing subscribers of the approved disconnection of Globacom by MTN, effective January 18. This action arose from a prolonged interconnection debt dispute between the two parties.
On January 8, the commission granted approval to MTN’s request for a partial disconnection of Glo from its network due to unpaid interconnect charges. This partial disconnection implies that Globacom’s subscribers won’t be able to make calls to any MTN number, but they can still receive calls from MTN users.