Operators MTN Nigeria and Globacom have, according to local news reports, agreed to resolve their latest dispute over interconnection fees.
Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced late last week that the interconnect debt dispute between MTN Nigeria and Globacom had been, as it put it, "amicably resolved”, continuing: “In accordance with this resolution, the disconnection approval granted to MTN for the disconnection of Globacom has now been withdrawn.”
As we pointed out recently, a Globacom company representative had suggested it did not owe MTN interconnection fees estimated at the equivalent of US$1.8 million.
However, after Globacom was granted an additional 21 days to pay the interconnect fees, the NCC says that “with the aim of mitigating any potential disruptions to subscribers”, it “undertook further regulatory intervention, by mediating between the parties and facilitating the reconciliation process”.
While the NCC underlines its wish that “strict adherence to the terms and conditions of licenses, particularly those delineated in interconnection agreements” is imperative, it’s not clear exactly how this dispute was resolved.
That said, the NCC is now working to prevent interconnect indebtedness happening again. Thus, it will be requesting relevant records and regular updates from operators, as well as adopting a transparent approach towards industry indebtedness.
