MTel appoints ICL interconnet partner

GLOBAL System for Mobile communications (GSM) operator, MTel, has appointed the Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited (ICL) its interconnect exchange and clearing house as well as settlement partner.

This development came as the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), may be routing for a dual rate regime as the unified licensing scheme draws nearer, even as ICL has obtained 500 E1 lines.

A digital E1 line also called T1 in the Americas is equivalent to 24 normal external analog phone lines and affords businesses to make 24 simultaneous external calls, have high speed internet, or combination of phone lines and internet. This is dominantly deployed by service providers.

Champion Infotel gathered that ICL’s appointment as MTel’s partner for interconnect exchange and settlement, puts to rest the issue of how ready is ICL.

MTel in a letter to ICL endorsed by its chief executive, Mr. Edwin Moore Momife, dated August 25, 2005, and entitled ‘Application for Direct Interconnection with MTel’ said he was pleased to inform ICL management of the decision.

MTel, therefore requested telcos in the country to provide ICL access to terminate MTel traffic to and from their networks.

“Kindly note that our partnership with ICL would not in any way impede the quality of our service to your organization,” he said, stressing that telcos should liaise with ICL at its registered office at Marina, Lagos.

Meanwhile, the indication that ALTON is routing for dual rate was given by the chairman, ALTON, Chief Adebayo Akande, in a chat with Champion Infotel.

He said there is need to introduce dual rate into the nation’s telecom industry to enable local operators break even.

Dual rate involves the payment of the domestic equivalent on international calls that end within the shores of the country with a local operator.

“Which means, whatever is paid domestically should be paid for international calls ending in Nigeria, among the operators,” he said.On how this dual rate would be made a success, Chief Akande, who also is the chief executive of the Independent Telephone Network (ITN), said, there is need for every telco concerned to ensure adherence to corporate governance guidelines in order to make the dream a success.