Nigeria - The regulator has sealed up the offices of Globacom for non-compliance on activated SIM cards and on masts/towers

[Vanguard] The Abuja office of telecommunication giant, Globacom has been sealed up by the Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC].

It was said that the seal off was necessitated by Globacom's non compliance with telecom guidelines as ordered by the Nigeria Communication Commission.

The NCC officials declared that two letters had been written to Globacom authorities over the company's non compliance with the directive on the ban of sale of activated GSM sim cards to subscribers and the non-compliance with the guidelines on installations of masts and towers.

Recently, the Nigerian Communications Commission had slammed a N5million fine on the telecommunication giant for failing to comply with the ban on sale of fully activated new SIM cards and guidelines on technical specification for installation of masts and towers.

NCC compliance and monitoring team said it received reports from several locations in the country indicated that most of the SIM cards sold by Globacom were already fully activated, a situation which NCC forbids.

After several correspondences conveying the findings to Globacom and a directive to fully comply by 17 February, NCC alleged that the company failed to comply.

The Commission said that further compliance monitoring indicated that Globacom Ltd was, no doubt, in contravention of the directive on the ban on sales of fully activated SIM cards in Anambra, Borno, Kano, Katsina and Plateau states as Globacom SIM cards purchased in April 2011 in these states were fully activated as calls were made unrestricted from the new SIM cards.

The Commission thereby issued notice of sanction on Globacom, having failed to comply with the said directive in accordance with the provisions of Section 55 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, and the Nigerian Communications (Enforcements Processes etc) Regulation 2005, and, therefore, liable as follows:

Payment of a penalty in the sum of N5,000,000 within seven( 7) days from the date of the notice and that additional sum of N500,000 shall be paid by Globacom Ltd every additional day as long as the contravention persists.

That upon continuous failure to comply with the directive, the Commission may deny Globacom Ltd other regulatory services or invoke its powers under section 45 (a,b & d) of NCA 2003.

NCC Seals Up Globacom's Abuja Office