The name of the UK company investing in troubled Gambian operator Comium and, importantly, promising to rid it of its outstanding debts has been revealed. It is Monty Mobile.
Founded in 1998, Monty Mobile positions itself as a leading VAS and telecom solutions provider and an international SMS wholesale intermediary hub, working closely with worldwide mobile operators, aggregators and enterprises to facilitate the international flow of voice and SMS across global markets.
Monty Mobile has over time extended its portfolio to include a wide range of fintech, data monetization, IoT and mobile advertising solutions.
The UK-headquartered company has now invested in Comium, according to local press reports.
As readers will know, Comium, accused by Gambian regulator PURA of owing it over $1.3 million in non-payment of dues, came close to losing its license altogether earlier this month.
Its services were suspended for a month on 5 October, but it somehow turned things round at the last moment when it declared at a press conference that a UK investor – now revealed to be Monty Mobile – was willing to clear all of its debts to allow the suspension to be lifted and to assist the operator in developing its services going forward. It also pledged to make a payment of 14 million Gambian dalasi (about $271,660).
Monty Mobile has worked with a number African operators in the past. In recent years it has announced a collaboration with Somtel of Somaliland for the implementation of two value-added services: My RBT (ring back tone) and missed call alerts. It has also reported partnerships with 9mobile of Nigeria and Glo Ghana, both of which chose Monty Mobile as their preferred international A2P SMS hub.
