NCC cancels disconnection approval, says MTN-Glo dispute resolved

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the interconnect debt dispute between MTN Nigeria and Globacom Limited has been amicably resolved.

Following the resolution, NCC said the approval granted to MTN to disconnect Globacom has now been withdrawn.

The regulator announced this in a statement by Reuben Muoka, NCC director, public affairs department, on Thursday.

NCC said the debt dispute was resolved to avoid disruptions to subscribers’ connections.

On January 8, 2024, the regulator permitted MTN to commence the phased disconnection of Glo with effect from January 18, 2024, due to the long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties.

But on January 18, NCC suspended the partial disconnection for 21 days starting from January 17, 2024.

In the latest development, the commission said the disconnection approval has now been withdrawn.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,” NCC said.

“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.”

Muoka further said to address and prevent future instances of interconnect indebtedness within the industry, NCC will be requesting relevant records and regular updates from MNOs, as well as adopting a transparent approach towards industry indebtedness.