The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has opted to delay the planned disconnection of Globacom subscribers from calling MTN lines, a move initially prompted by unresolved interconnect charges. This decision comes in the wake of an agreement reached between MTN and Globacom over the outstanding debt.
Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, conveyed this development in a statement to Naija News on Wednesday. Initially, the NCC had granted MTN partial approval for disconnecting Globacom, citing the latter’s inability to provide sufficient justification for non-payment of interconnect charges.
In the earlier notice, the NCC outlined that after ten days from the date of the notice, Globacom subscribers would be restricted from making calls to MTN, though they could still receive calls.
However, in the latest statement on Wednesday, the NCC disclosed that a resolution had been reached between MTN and Globacom regarding the debt issue. Consequently, the Commission decided to put the phased disconnection on hold for a period of 21 days, starting from January 17, 2024.
The statement from the NCC highlighted its awareness of the potential impact on consumers and the national telecoms network. It emphasized the importance of settling interconnect debts as an essential aspect of complying with regulatory obligations for all licensees in the telecom industry.
“While the Commission expects MTN and Glo to resolve all outstanding issues within the 21-day period, the Commission insists that interconnect debts must be settled by all operating companies as a necessary component towards compliance with regulatory obligations of all licensees,” the statement emphasized. The NCC underscored the obligation of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees to adhere strictly to the terms and conditions outlined in their interconnection agreements.
