The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Telecom giant, MTN and Globacom Limited have reached an agreement to settle their dispute over interconnection Debt.
In a statement signed by Director Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, NCC stated that the Commission has therefore, put on hold the pre-disconnection notice, earlier issued, for another 21days with effect from January 17, 2024.
The statement noted that NCC was concerned about the potential impacts of the possible disconnection of lines on consumers and therefore continued to engage both firms to facilitate the dispute resolution.
The statement read;
On January 8, 2024 the Nigerian Communications Commission published a PreDisconnection Notice informing subscribers of the approval granted to MTN Nigerian 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.
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 prioritizes and protects consumer interest and the seamless operation of the national telecoms network.
The Commission 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.
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 telecom industry keep to the terms and conditions of their licenses, especially as contained in their interconnection agreements.
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