NCC Issues MTN to Disconnect All Globacom Services After 10 Days From Now

The Nigerian Communications Commission has approved MTN's partial disconnection of Globacom over its refusal to pay the interconnect debt.  

The suspension means that all Glo users won't be allowed to call any MTN number. However, Glo customers can receive inbound calls from MTN customers.  

NCC disclosed this on Monday. The telecom regulator said that Globacom has issued a 10-day notice starting January 8, after which the disconnection will start.

NCC Statement

NCC, in a public notice to inform all Globacom’s subscribers of the development, said:  

• 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 MIN Nigeria Communications Plc. (MTN) 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. Having examined the application and circumstances surrounding the indebtedness, the Commission 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 following 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.

Back Story

This development is coming following the move by the NCC to settle the dispute over interconnect debt that has been ongoing in the Nigerian telecom industry for years.

In 2020, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the immediate past Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, said that over N70 billion, noting that this has been threatening the operators’ capacity to expand their infrastructure for better quality service. 

Danbatta said that the interconnect debt is “a big challenge to infrastructure expansion and inimical to healthy competition,” which are needed to facilitate Nigeria's digital economy. 

The interconnect rate is the price that telecommunications operators pay each other for calls terminating on their networks.