19/08/2025
PURA CLARIFIES:
Recently, there has been some confusion and misinformation circulating regarding PURA’s new data regulation. We want to clear things up and ensure that everyone understands what is really happening.
First, let’s talk about the current cheap data bundles—such as 12GB for D145 or D146. These are not permanent packages.
They are temporary summer promotions offered by the mobile companies themselves, like Africell and Qcell. These promotional offers will end soon, and when they do, data prices will return to their regular, much higher rates.
To be clear, PURA did not ask any company to stop these promotions, and they are still ongoing for now. However, once these promotional packages expire, consumers will go back to paying much more—for example, D130 for just 1GB of data from Africell.
What Is PURA Doing?
PURA is implementing a new regulation that will limit how much mobile operators can charge for data. Under this new rule, no operator in The Gambia can charge more than D50 for 1GB of data.
To put this in perspective:
Currently (without promotions), 1GB of data costs D130.
With the new PURA regulation, that same 1GB will cost D50 or less.
That’s a savings of D80 per gigabyte.
This move is about making data more affordable and fairer for consumers across The Gambia.
Normal Data Prices (Without Promotions)
Here is what mobile data currently costs without any promotions, for both Africell and Qcell:
Data Price
20MB D7.50
40MB D9
50MB (Africell only) D11
80MB D18
100MB D24
150MB D30
200MB D40
300MB D60
500MB D90
750MB D98
1GB D130
1.5GB D145
2GB (Africell only) D180
3GB D255
4GB D450
5GB D595
8GB D780
10GB D950
12GB (Africell only) D1120
13GB D1190
15GB D1490
20GB (Africell only) D1790
25GB (Qcell only) D1790
As you can see, 12GB of data currently costs D1120 under normal pricing. But right now, due to the summer promotion, users can get that same 12GB for only D145 with Africell or D146 with Qcell.
However, once the promotion ends, D145 will only get you 1.5GB instead of 12GB.
How Does PURA’s Regulation Help You?
With PURA’s new pricing cap, you would be able to get 12GB for just D600 instead of the usual D1120—even after promotions end. That’s almost 50% in savings. It ensures that data remains affordable even when companies are no longer running special offers.
Some sources (on social media) are falsely claiming that PURA is taking away your cheap data bundles. That is not true. The promotions were never permanent to begin with, and PURA is not the one ending them. In fact, PURA is the one stepping in to protect you after the promotions are gone.
Their aim is to prevent mobile companies from charging excessive rates for data once the promos end.
And yes, PURA has full legal authority to regulate mobile operators in The Gambia. They are acting entirely within the law to ensure that mobile internet is accessible and affordable to all Gambians.
Wasallam!!
