The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended its planned barring of Glo subscribers from calling MTN lines for a period of 21 days. This decision comes as a follow-up to the Pre-Disconnection Notice issued on January 8, 2024, regarding a long-standing interconnection debt dispute between MTN and Glo.
In its initial notice, the NCC approved MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. to initiate the phased disconnection of Globacom Limited starting from January 18, 2024. However, the commission has now announced an extension, stating that the parties involved have reached an agreement to resolve all outstanding issues. Consequently, the NCC has put the phased disconnection on hold for 21 days from January 17, 2024.
While expressing the expectation that MTN and Glo will resolve their outstanding issues within the specified timeframe, the NCC emphasized the importance of settling interconnect debts as a necessary component for all operating companies to comply with regulatory obligations.
The NCC noted that its approval for disconnection could have potential impacts on consumers. It stressed the importance of mobile network operators and other licensees adhering to the terms and conditions of their licenses, especially those outlined in their interconnection agreements.
Earlier, the NCC had indicated its intention to advise Globacom subscribers on the next steps following the expiration of a 10-day grace period for barring their lines from making calls to MTN lines. The interconnect charge, which has been a point of contention between MTN and Glo, is the fee telecom operators pay each other for calls terminating on their networks.
