MTN Nigeria and Globacom have reached a truce over interconnect debt that has pitted the nation’s two leading mobile network operators against each other, the telecoms regulator said this morning.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has also frozen a partial disconnection order scheduled to begin today between the two telecoms giants, Mr Reuben Muoka, Public Affairs Director at the telecoms regulatory agency said in a statement made available to Technology Times.
“The Commission” Muoka said, “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.”
According to NCC, “whilst 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 telecoms industry keep to the terms and conditions of their licenses, especially as contained in their interconnection agreements.”
NCC had on January 8, 2024 published a pre-disconnection notice, Muoka added, “informing subscribers of the approval granted to MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. (MTN) to commence the phased disconnection of Globacom Limited (Glo) with effect from January 18, 2024 due to long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties.”
According to him, “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 prioritises and protects consumer interest and the seamless operation of the national telecoms network.”
