The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, announced yesterday that MTN and Globacom have amicably resolved their interconnect debt issue that accumulated into billions of Naira.
In a statement released yesterday by NCC and signed by its Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Reuben Muoka, NCC said it had already withdrawn the initial disconnection approval it earlier granted MTN to disconnect all Globacom subscribers, following the huge interconnect debt owed MTN by Globacom.
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According to the statement, “The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is pleased to announce that the interconnect debt dispute between MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. (MTN) and Globacom Limited (Globacom) has been amicably resolved. In accordance with this resolution, the disconnection approval granted to MTN for the disconnection of Globacom has now been withdrawn.
“Following its initial Public Notice, the commission, with the aim of mitigating any potential disruptions to subscribers, undertook further regulatory intervention by mediating between the parties and facilitating the reconciliation process.
“The commission reiterates that strict adherence to the terms and conditions of licenses, particularly those delineated in interconnection agreements, is imperative for all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees within the telecommunications industry.”
In order to proactively address and prevent future instances of interconnect indebtedness within the industry, the commission will be requesting relevant records and regular updates from MNOs, as well as adopting a transparent approach towards industry indebtedness. The statement serves as a reminder of the commission’s commitment to fostering a stable and compliant telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria, the statement further said.
Worried by the huge sum of interconnect debt, MTN repeatedly lodged complaints to NCC, a development that compelled NCC to issue disconnection approval on January 8, 2024, empowering MTN to disconnect Globacom subscribers after 10 days that the approval was granted and issued, but rescinded its decision on January 17, 2024, and gave a window of 21 days for Globacom to pay up its debt. The 21-day window that elapsed yesterday has now been overridden by the current withdrawal of disconnection approval earlier given to MTN.
The NCC had said the commission expected MTN and Globacom to resolve all outstanding issues within the 21-day period, as the commission insists that interconnect debts must be settled by all operating companies as a necessary component towards compliance with the regulatory obligations of all licensees.