Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia’s telecommunications sector is in the midst of a full-blown pricing crisis, with mobile data costs falling to record lows, sparking urgent concern from the industry regulator and operators alike.
What started as prolonged tariff promotion by Comium in 2023—offering data prices up to 80% lower than the prevailing market rates—has now spiraled into an aggressive price war that has pushed tariffs to unsustainable lows, with some packages now selling for as little as GMD 5 for 500MB.
In response, the country’s two telecom giants, Africell and QCell, slashed their prices even further— with some bundles now being offered at three times cheaper than Comium’s already rock-bottom tariffs.
While this tug-of-war has been welcomed by some data-hungry consumers, it has raised red flags across the sector about the long-term viability of such pricing practices.
The war, which has been raging for nearly a month, has triggered massive traffic spikes, congested networks, and a noticeable dip in quality of service, as millions of Gambians scramble to take advantage of the world’s cheapest data plans.
But the consequences may run deeper than slow internet speeds. A source told us that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has expressed concern about the impact on the overall revenue health of the sector, which contributes an estimated 15% of the country’s total tax revenues.
“While competition is essential in a liberalised market, what we are witnessing is an erosion of value, a distortion of fair competition, and a threat to the sustainability of the entire telecoms ecosystem,” our source, a senior industry expert told The Standard, on condition of anonymity.
Pressure is now mounting on PURA to intervene decisively and restore order to a market many believe is spinning out of control.
Insiders say that if left unchecked, the current trajectory could jeopardise future investments in infrastructure, dampen innovation, and ultimately hurt consumers with deteriorating service quality.
It remains to be seen how PURA will act, however, industry watchers expect a regulatory directive on pricing in the coming days, possibly in the form of a tariff floor—a minimum pricing threshold designed to stabilise the market and prevent operators from undercutting each other into financial distress.
As it stands, according to experts, The Gambia now holds the unenviable distinction of offering the lowest mobile data tariffs on the planet—a title that may sound appealing to consumers but could carry devastating consequences for the country’s digital future.
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