NCC Intervenes in Glo, MTN Dispute as Ben Bruce Salutes Tinubu's Involvement

• The Nigerian Communications Commission has suspended earlier approval given to MTN to commence the gradual disconnection of Glo
• The commission said that the parties reached an agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them within 21 days
• Senator Ben Bruce has commended President Tinubu for wading into the disconnection feud between the telcos

Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the stock market.

The Nigerian Communications Commission has intervened in the connection dispute between MTN Nigerian Communications Plc. (MTN) and Globacom Limited (Glo).

This was addressed in a press statement made available to Legit.ng titled "Pre-Disconnection Notice" and signed by Reuben Mouka, the NCC's director of public affairs.

This follows NCC's initial communication with subscribers on January 8, 2024, about the approval given to MTN to commence the gradual disconnection of Glo with effect from January 18, 2024.

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This action results from a longstanding interconnection debt dispute between the involved parties.

NCC suspends barring of Glo users from calling MTN lines

In providing approval, the Commission said it carefully considered the potential ramifications of its decision on consumers.

It added that it maintained communication with both parties to encourage a resolution that prioritises and safeguards consumer interests and ensures the smooth operation of the national telecommunications network.

It stated:

The Commission is pleased to announce that the parties have now reached agreement to resolve all outstanding issues between them. For this reason, and in exercise of its regulatory powers in that regard, the Commission has put the phased disconnection on hold for a period of 21 (twenty-one) days from today, 17 January, 2024.

While anticipating the resolution of all outstanding issues between MTN and Glo within the specified 21-day period, the Commission emphasised the imperative for all operating companies to settle interconnect debts.

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In its extension notice, the NCC underscored the importance for mobile network operators and other licensees in the telecom industry to strictly adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in their interconnection agreements.

Ben Bruce commends Tinubu for intervention

The Chairman of Silverbird Communications, Senator Murray-Bruce, has commended President Bola Tinubu for personally intervening in the dispute between the two telecom giants.

While emphasising the need to always have a business-minded leader as president, he said the resolution is good for the country and the telecoms industry.

In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter), he said:

With this mindset, the ease of doing business in Nigeria is improved. Our economy will benefit more from cooperation than from confrontation, and I am glad that with this Nigeria-first initiative, we are moving from the battleground to common ground.

The businessman added that Nigerians look forward to better interconnectivity between the telecom companies.

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It would be recalled that Legit.ng earlier reported that the "common sense" senator started a campaign on social media to halt the current depreciation of the naira in the foreign exchange market.

Nigerians protest as MTN, Glo, Airtel, others set to increase call, data rates

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) has said the association would resist telcos' attempts to review tariffs upward.

This is on the background that telecom providers are lobbying the federal government to grant the planned increase in tariffs in the country.

Sources at the NCC and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy said that Nigerian subscribers will pay between 10% and 15% more than the current tariffs if the telcos' request is guaranteed.

Since November last year, the telecom operators have pleaded with the government to approve their request to review upward the current call and data tariffs.

Source: Legit.ng