In a recent announcement, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the partial disconnection of Globacom subscribers from making calls to MTN lines. The decision stems from the unresolved interconnect charges owed by Globacom to MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, amounting to approximately N6bn.
The NCC, in a public notice signed by Director Reuben Muoka, disclosed that it had granted partial approval for the disconnection, citing Globacom’s insufficient justification for non-payment of the interconnect charges. Effective from January 18, 2024, Globacom subscribers will no longer be able to initiate calls to MTN numbers, although they will still be able to receive calls. The partial disconnection is a measure to enforce payment while allowing in-bound calls to the Globacom network.
This situation echoes a similar incident in 2019 when MTN, following NCC directives, briefly disconnected Glo subscribers over a N4bn debt. The telecom regulator’s approval for operators to disconnect others due to interconnect debts remains a recurrent issue in the industry.
Despite efforts to obtain Glo’s reaction, the company has not yet commented on the matter. The outstanding debt, coupled with the potential impact on Glo’s 61.39 million mobile subscriptions, raises concerns about the stability of interconnect agreements within the Nigerian telecom sector.
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As of now, the total disconnect fee in the industry is undisclosed, but the NCC’s intervention suggests a commitment to enforcing financial obligations among telecom operators.
Source:
The Punch
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