Resurgent Gambian mobile operator Comium is undergoing a testing phase of an in-deployment 4G LTE network, promising wide mobile broadband coverage in urban and provincial areas with its upcoming launch. Network users with compatible devices and SIM cards can currently test 4G mobile data access in several deployment zones free of charge, and Comium is asking customers to swap their existing SIMs for a new 4G-capable card complete with an introductory 5GB free data allowance, according to advertisements on its Facebook page and the company website, where the operator has also begun advertising 4G-suitable mobile tariffs.
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that Comium’s network services have thus far remained based on 2.5G GPRS/EDGE technology compared to its rivals QCell (4G/5G), Africell (4G) and Gamcel (3G), while Comium suffered a severe setback in late 2021 when its network was temporarily closed down due to unpaid regulatory fees. However, Comium’s new UK-based management company Monty Mobile and Chinese technology giant Huawei announced a new partnership in October 2022 to develop the struggling cellco’s network ‘with groundbreaking products and solutions’, declaring that the venture will lead to ‘a substantial transformation that will unfold in 2023 … paving the way towards 5G networks’.
Comium’s website currently indicates that a ‘4G+’ network rollout is planned for ‘industrial and rural’ areas alike, and its social media pages show that it has ramped up its campaign efforts during Q2 2023 by opening several new customer service centres.
Source: https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2023/07/05/comium-approaching-4g-launch-in-gambia/