Reprieve for Glo subscribers as NCC shelves plans to bar network from calling MTN lines

Subscribers on the Globacom Limited platform can now heave a sigh of relief as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended its plan to bar the network’s subscribers from calling MTN lines for 21 days.

The NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the commission suspended the action after the two companies agreed to resolve all outstanding issues between them.

The two companies have been at loggerheads over interconnection fees for several years.

MTN disconnected Glo subscribers from calling its lines over a N4 billion debt in 2019.

In the notice, NCC expressed fear that its approval for disconnection would have potential impacts on consumers.

It stressed that mobile network operators and other licensees in the telecom industry must adhere to the terms and conditions of their licences, especially on their interconnection agreements.

READ ALSO: Globacom denies owing MTN interconnect charges

The statement read: “The commission is pleased to announce that the parties have now reached an agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them. For this reason, and in the exercise of its regulatory powers in that regard, the commission has put the phased disconnection on hold for 21 days from today, January 17, 2024.

“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.

“Whilst the Commission expects MTN and Glo to resolve all outstanding issues within the 21 days. 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.”

By: Babajide Okeowo

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