A new mobile phone company is said to be on the verge of being established in the country, bringing to three the number of such companies in The Gambia. The advent of the new cell phone company will be the latest addition-after Gamcel and Africell both of which were established in 2001 - to the socio-economic development of The Gambia.

News of the development is contained in a press statement issued yesterday.
What follows is an unedited version of the statement:

Comium Gambia, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based global telecommunications giant, the Comium Group, is proud to announce the launch of the Gambia’s latest, state-of-the-art 2.5G GSM mobile phone network.
Comium Gambia’s mobile service is tailored specifically to meet the country’s needs and will provide subscribers with the kind of world-class products they have so far lacked.

Offering a wider range of advanced value-added services than those available at present, Comium will also be the first network to offer complete coverage of the whole country, bringing mobile telecommunications to all of The Gambia from day one.
Comium comes with a number of innovative products and services.

These services are tailored to suit the needs of the Gambian users, a range of attractive and competitive tariffs are available.

Comium Gambia will be inaugurated by his Excellency the President, Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, on Saturday the 26th of May 2007, at Comium’s Headquarters in Pipeline, Kairaba Av.
Comium products will be available on the market on Monday 28th May, 2007.

About Comium group
A major player in the Middle Eastern and African markets, with growing interests in both North and South America, the Comium Group was founded in 1994 and has years of experience and expertise in various fields of telecommunications. From mobile networks to DSL, GSM, e-commerce and much more, the Comium Group has built a global reputation for innovation and excellence.

Present in West Africa, Comium has built a strong position for itself in Liberia and Sierra Leone and is on the verge of launching operations in the Cote d’Ivoire.
“Our strategy involves the acquisition of new licenses across West and Central Africa, in countries where mobile phone and Internet penetration is still limited and where we feel we can bring tangible, sustained value to subscribers,” explains Comium Group. “The passion for creating a better future is something that has long been and should continue to be a critical part of the Comium culture and values,” says Chairman Dr. Nizar Dalloul.

Entering the Gambian market as the third telecommunications operator will be a challenge but it is one that Mr. Amer Atwi, Managing Director of Comium Gambia, welcomes.

“We believe our success so far has been due to being able to blend in to our environments, offering the kind of services that West Africans need and want, and then providing them in a way that is familiar and a pleasure to use,” he explains. “We are offering better coverage, better value and better services. Comium will increase competition, forcing existing services to improve to catch up. It will also create new employment opportunities.All of this is positive for The Gambia and for Gambian subscribers.”

New network, new services, new job opportunities. Dynamic, daring and excited by a challenge, the Comium Group, like West Africa, is growing fast. For the Gambia, a more mobile, more connected future has just been born.