A licence has been granted to a new indigenous GSM company, which will bring the total number of GSM operators in the country to four.

The company is called QCELL and will provide 3G mobile services, such as voice, data and video. The company is owned by Mr Muhammed Jah, the chief executive officer of QuantumNet.

According to a dispatch from the Department of State for Communications, Information and Information Technology (DOSCIIT), the decision to grant the licence is in line with universal access principles and the aspirations of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, to ensure increased availability, affordability, modern and reliable communication services to the Gambian people. 

"This development is also consistent with global trends in the telecommunications industry and for the attainment of our Silicon Valley Initiative.

In addition to the existing GSM operators in The Gambia, we expect QCELL will live-up to expectations in this highly competitive environment," the state department highlighted.