The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a partial disconnection of Globacom by MTN due to Globacom’s failure to settle its interconnect debt.
The NCC disclosed this in a public notice issued on Monday, announcing that Globacom has been given a 10-day notice starting from January 8, to pay its debt, or risk disconnection should the company default in payment.
The commission disclosed that Glo was notified of the application made by MTN and was allowed to comment and state its case. However, having examined the case, the NCC concluded that Globacom does not have any justifiable reason for non-payment of the interconnect charges.
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The NCC wrote,
“The Nigerian Communications Commission hereby notifies the public and subscribers of Globacom Limited (Globacom) that approval has been granted for the partial disconnection of Globacom from MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, due to non-settlement of interconnect charges.
“Globacom was notified of the application made by MTN and was allowed 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.
“All subscribers are, therefore, requested to TAKE NOTICE that: The Commission has approved the Partial Disconnection of Globacom to MTN in accordance with Section 100 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and Paragraph 9 of the Guidelines on Procedure for Granting Approval to Disconnect Telecommunications Operators, 2012.
“At the expiration of 10 (ten) 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 inbound calls to the Globacom network. Please note that this disconnection will persist until otherwise determined by the Commission.”
What it means for Glo Subscribers;
1.) Under this partial disconnection, subscribers of Globacom will be unable to initiate calls to any MTN numbers. However, Glo customers will still be able to receive inbound calls from MTN customers.
2.) Globacom’s subscribers will experience several limitations in their communication capabilities, specifically with the inability to make outgoing calls to any MTN numbers during the period of partial disconnection.
3.) The disconnection could cause inconvenience for Globacom customers who regularly communicate with MTN subscribers. It may disrupt personal and business communications, affecting users’ ability to make crucial calls.
4.) Potential Revenue Loss for Globacom: The inability to make calls to MTN numbers might result in a temporary loss of revenue for Globacom, as outgoing calls to MTN subscribers contribute to the telecom company’s earnings.
5.) Reputation and Customer Trust Impact: Service disruptions and financial disputes can affect the reputation of the involved telecom operators. Customers may lose trust in the affected companies, particularly if communication issues persist or if the situation is not resolved promptly.
It is however interesting to note that this is not the first time Glo subscribers will be disconnected from making calls to MTN over unpaid debt.
In 2019, MTN, acting upon a directive from the NCC, briefly disconnected Glo subscribers over a N4bn debt.