Benin Republic withdraws Globacom’s operating licence

Benin’s telecommunications regulator has withdrawn the operating licence of Globacom, Nigerian mobile telecommunications company.

According to a report by Reuters, Globacom and the regulators could not agree on new terms of the contract.

Autorite De Regulation Des Communications Électroniques Et De La Poste (ARCEP)-Benin, the regulator in the country, said it took the decision after negotiations with Glo Mobile Benin to renew its licence failed.

The regulator said the company refused new conditions imposed by the government.

The new terms of contract include an increase in the cost of the licence.

According to statistics on ARCEP’s website, Glo Mobile Benin had over 1.6 million subscribers in 2015.

Established on August 29, 2003, Globacom is Nigeria’s second largest telecommunications operator. It has operations in other West African countries namely Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.

Other subsidiaries of the company include Glo Gateway, Glo 1 Enterprise Solution and Glo Mobile Ghana.

The company made history in Nigeria when it became the first GSM operator to implement per second billing.

Globacom is one of the companies that made it to the final five bidders for the ownership of 9mobile.

9mobile, which was formerly known as Etisalat, is currently in talks with investors after major investors pulled out earlier in the year.