PUNCH
Globacom subscribers will not be able to make calls to MTN lines soon due to the non-settlement of interconnect charges.
The Nigerian Communications Commission disclosed this on Monday in a public notice signed by Director, Public Affairs Department, Reuben Muoka.
It stated that it granted partial approval for the disconnection of Globacom from MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.
It said, “Globacom was notified of the application made by MTN and was given the opportunity to comment and state its case.
“The commission, having examined the application and circumstances surrounding the indebtedness, determined that Globacom does not have sufficient or justifiable reason for non-payment of the interconnect charges.”
The NCC revealed that at the expiration of 10 days from the date of this notice, “subscribers of Globacom will no longer be able to make calls to MTN but will be able to receive calls.
“The partial disconnection, however, will allow in-bound calls to the Globacom network.”
This is not the first time Glo subscribers will be disconnected from making calls to MTN over the same issue.
In 2019, MTN, acting upon a directive from the NCC, briefly disconnected Glo subscribers over a N4bn debt.
In December 2018, the telecom regulator approved mobile network operators to disconnect other operators over rising interconnect debts and the failure of the affected operators to pay.
The total disconnect fee in the industry at the time was about N165bn.
