In a statement emailed to Techeconomy, the management of 9mobile categorically refuted the reports, describing them as “false and misleading rumours.”

“These claims are entirely baseless and aimed at causing unnecessary panic among our valued subscribers.

“We understand that some customers have recently faced challenges, particularly with Mobile Number Portability (MNP), a service that enables seamless network switching. We want to clarify that 9mobile has never restricted customers from porting to other networks.

“We remain fully compliant with industry regulations and committed to delivering fair, transparent, and customer-focused services.

“While there have been temporary technical challenges affecting MNP, these issues have now been largely resolved.

“Some minor delays may still occur due to ongoing system optimizations, but we are actively working to ensure a smoother experience for all users.

“As a proudly Nigerian brand, we embody the resilient spirit of our people and remain steadfast in our commitment to overcoming challenges. We acknowledge the temporary service disruptions some customers may have experienced in different locations.

“However, we assure you that these disruptions are part of a broader transformation effort aimed at modernizing our infrastructure and improving overall service quality.

“Our ongoing investments in network upgrades and service expansion will soon yield significant improvements, ensuring reliable connectivity for individuals, businesses, and communities.

“We sincerely appreciate the patience and loyalty of our subscribers during this transition. While challenges exist, we are making significant progress and are confident that brighter days are ahead. We remain dedicated to providing exceptional service and keeping you connected to limitless opportunities”, the statement reads.

Monday, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) officially granted partial disconnection of Globacom (Glo) from MTN network, citing a lack of cooperation in debt payment as the primary reason.

The debt, Techeconomy gathered that this may affect about 61 million Glo subscribers. As of August 2023, Glo controlled 27.8 per cent of the Nigerian telecommunication subscribers’ market.

Concurrently, the NCC informed Globacom of MTN’s application, allowing Globacom an opportunity to present its case and provide comments.

Following a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the non-payment of interconnect charges, the NCC concluded that Globacom failed to provide sufficient or justifiable reasons for its outstanding debts.

However, ALTON chairman said the issue was of serious concern to members.

Adebayo said interconnect debt can generate distrust among members and the industry.

According to him, it can destroy growth and slow interconnectivity, “we are concerned. But, again, it is an internal matter that we are trying to find the best way to resolve. It is a serious issue, we are praying it doesn’t escalate beyond reasonable measure.”

On his part, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, the president, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMs), who welcomed the development, said the challenge around interconnect debt had been on for the past 10 years.

Ogunbanjo sees no reason why Globacom shouldn’t have paid the money as and when due, stressing that these are monies/revenues collected immediately when calls are made.

“This is a good development so that no one stifles the other from existence. I believe it will serve other operators a lesson too. The interconnect debt has been a debilitating disease in the sector. An operator collects money upfront and refuses to remit when it is supposed to. I think that is bad,” he stated.

While commending NCC for the move, the NATCOMs boss, who recalled that as far back as 2008, as a member of the Industry Working Body, Glo had always been prevailed upon to pay their interconnect debt, said the withdrawal of service should also be applied to banks for refusing to pay the N200 billion Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) owed the telecoms operators. He said the service should be withdrawn from the banks.

Ogunbanjo, who urged the management of Globacom to do the needful and pay up the debt, said: “This will tell subscribers that Glo is a debtor firm. It will also give room for mobile number portability (MNP) to thrive because, if the matter is not resolved within time and people are not able to call, there will be an exodus of subscribers from Glo to another network.” (Guardian)