By Damilare Adeleye
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has postponed plans to ban Globacom subscribers from calling MTN lines over the non-payment of interconnect charges.
This was made known in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday by Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs for NCC.
Recall that the NCC had, in a notice, given MTN Nigeria Communications Plc partial approval for the disconnection of Globacom.
“Globacom was notified of the application made by MTN and was given the opportunity to comment and state its case.
“The Commission, having examined the application and circumstances surrounding the indebtedness, determined that Globacom does not have sufficient or justifiable reason for non-payment of the interconnect charges,” the notice reads.
The NCC revealed that at the expiration of 10 days from the date of this notice, “subscribers of Globacom will no longer be able to make calls to MTN but will be able to receive calls.”
However, in a fresh statement on Wednesday, NCC disclosed that MTN and Globacom had reached an agreement over the debt.
The Commission stated that it had put the phased disconnection on hold for a period of 21 (twenty-one) days from today, 17 January 2024.
The statement reads: “On January 8, 2024, the Nigerian Communications Commission published a Pre-Disconnection Notice informing subscribers of the approval granted to MTN Nigerian Communications Plc. (MTN) to commence the phased disconnection of Globacom Limited (Glo) with effect from January 18, 2024, due to a long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties.
“In granting the approval, 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 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, 17 January 2024.
“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. 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.”