The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has halted its earlier approval given to MTN Nigerian Communications (NCC) to commence the phased disconnection of Globacom Limited (Glo).
Note that NCC had initially ordered MTN to disconnect Glo customers with effect from today, Thursday, January 18, 2024, due to a long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties.
A statement signed by Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, said: “The Commission is pleased to announce that the parties have now reached an agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them. For this reason, and in the exercise of its regulatory powers in that regard, the Commission has put the phased disconnection on hold for 21 (twenty-one) days from today, 17 January 2024.”
The commission said that in approving as contained in its Pre-Disconnection Notice of January 8, 2024, it 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.
“Whilst the Commission expects MTN and Glo to resolve all outstanding issues within 21 days, 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.
“Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees in the telecom industry must keep to the terms and conditions of their licenses, especially as contained in their interconnection agreements,” the commission said.
