New telco Gorilla Mobile lets you turn unused data into digital tokens

A brand new telco has simply launched in Singapore. Referred to as Gorilla Cell, it targets PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), in addition to native and international companies.

In a media briefing earlier as we speak, Gorilla Cell’s founder and CEO Xanne Leo, stated that the telco is hoping to revolutionise the business with Singapore’s first service-on-demand mannequin and distinctive SwitchBack function.

“All telcos merely assume that everyone need and wish extra information. Nevertheless, we discovered that this isn’t true,” stated Xanne.

With Gorilla Cell, customers pay just for what they use to make sure a good and modular method of utilizing and paying for cell providers.

Explaining additional in regards to the service-on-demand mannequin, she likened it to Netflix the place a person pays a set month-to-month subscription price to achieve entry to all types of TV reveals and films in several genres and languages.

(Consider it as) Netflix goes to introduce a versatile, customisable package deal so that you could have a extra personalised expertise. All you could do is inform me, at the start of each month, what number of comedy motion pictures you’ll watch and what number of hours of horror motion pictures you suppose you’ll eat that month.

For those who didn’t choose documentaries, it won’t present in your profile in any respect. All that is very easy and versatile as a result of you possibly can change your entire combo for the following month on the click on of a button. (For) most of us, that is most likely not going to translate into an excellent person expertise, however that’s precisely what’s taking place within the telco area proper now.

– Xanne Leo, founder and CEO of Gorilla Cell

She sees this as a “very demanding mannequin”, by which it calls for that customers have professional data on the options and advantages in order that they’ll make an knowledgeable determination. It additionally assumes that each one customers can precisely predict their utilization and consumption.

Because of this Gorilla Cell chooses to tackle a special method and construct its providers and supply in a digital method.

“(Our providers) are all accessible and available on the cell app for our customers 24/7, and also you solely pay for what you employ,” stated Xanne.

She added that their signature is its blockchain-powered SwitchBack function. It’s mainly an auto switchback operate that lets customers convert their unused cell information into digital tokens, often called GorillaGo tokens, that are powered by Ethereum.

GorillaGo is a digital asset which you’ll be able to have full possession and the ability to mint it by way of their Sensible Contract from wherever on the earth.

These tokens — which has no expiry date — can then be used to offset future payments, redeem different cell providers, or be shared with others corresponding to colleagues, together with those that are abroad.

By tokenising cell information right into a digital foreign money, customers can simply share, switch, commerce your cell information with their household and pals who’re utilizing completely different telcos in several nations.

Our SwitchBack function will be in comparison with the Singapore Parking app. Customers pay just for their parking length and get refunded for his or her unused time. By SwitchBack, unused information by no means goes to waste. Its worth will get reallocated to offset, buy or change for different Gorilla providers.

– Xanne Leo, founder and CEO of Gorilla Cell

Unique options which can be distinctive to SMEs

“(Our) method is targeted on the PMETs and SMEs market,” confused Xanne.

Pre-pandemic, she famous that many enterprise executives on this market are inclined to journey regularly for work. With the Covid-19 lockdown nevertheless, enterprise travels have been placed on maintain and lots of have shifted to working from house — this additionally implies that they’re linked to WiFi more often than not.

Subsequently, Gorilla Cell desires to make full use of this untapped cell information and convert it into one thing that may be of worth to customers.

She additionally noticed that the post-pandemic state of affairs additionally calls for a few of our workforce to make worldwide calls on their cell at house, or are required to obtain abroad calls on their cell at house as a result of they haven’t any entry to the workplace strains, that are outfitted and bundled with IDD calls functionality.

“Gorilla Cell’s full suite of cell answer is digitalised so you possibly can entry that on the cell app simply. We constructed it for the do business from home, work from workplace, or work from wherever (sort of) state of affairs. … I believe our options additionally must be completely different to cater (to altering wants).”

Its Switch25 cell plan begins at S$25 a month for 20GB of cell information, 100 minutes of discuss time and 100 SMS (brief message service) messages.

Evaluating its plan to different company telco plans, Xanne acknowledged that they “are usually not essentially the most high-end, but in addition not essentially the most primary plan out there available in the market.”

She additionally expounded on the truth that Gorilla Cell presents unique options which can be distinctive to SMEs, like its auto invoice offset function and team-sharing capabilities.

“(Take) for instance an organization that has obtained 50 or 100 cell strains. All of the 100 strains with unused cell information each month, it is going to robotically be switched again to at least one firm account. This may make accounting and finance work quite a bit simpler for these corporations.”

Moreover, it presents information sharing with anybody, regardless if they’re on completely different telcos.

“Information sharing is (sometimes) solely relevant for a selected data-sharing plan, and this needs to be solely shared with supplementary strains or fastened supplementary strains beneath the subscribers. Our limitless share operate permits you share any quantity with anybody at any time — it doesn’t must be the identical subscriber or has a set restrict to it.”

Is there area for a brand new telco participant in S’pore?

The telco market in Singapore is sort of saturated already as Gorilla Cell takes up its place because the thirteenth telco right here.

With such stiff competitors, how precisely is Gorilla Cell gearing as much as seize market share in Singapore?

When you may have a commoditised, homogeneous product, the quickest and quickest technique to compete is (to) really slash costs. This normally occurs when there’s a lack of innovation or innovation has ceased to exist, and it sometimes additionally signifies the tail-end of a technological age.

– Xanne Leo, founder and CEO of Gorilla Cell

Now that we’re shifting in direction of a 5G period, Xanne strongly believes that there can be extra thrilling developments within the telco area.

In response to their findings, when important ranges of innovation and technological developments occur, customers will transfer away from value and begin specializing in service differentiation.

“I consider that Gorilla Cell has unparalleled modern service for the PMETs and SMEs of as we speak, we’ve got a greater mannequin, we’ve got higher service and we offer a greater expertise.”

Gorilla Cell first began out as a journey SIM card firm again in 2019. Their plans to launch journey roaming information playing cards in Might 2020 was dampened because of the Covid-19 pandemic, in order that they had been compelled to modify up their enterprise plans and pivot.

Xanne is conscious that Singapore is a saturated market and to her, the “gold technique” is to give you a distinct segment services or products, or goal particular segments of the market. Innovation can also be key.

“In Singapore, we’re 2.5 million of PMETs and roughly 200,000 SMEs — that is actually the place we wish to take a slice of the pie,” she stated.

She added that Gorilla Cell has secured collaborations and tied up with many enterprise associations like Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Enterprise Federation, so she hopes that this may assist give them the community and market entry level.

Gorilla Cell has been established with US$3 million of seed capital, and it’s set to lift one other US$5 million in Collection A funding. The funds can be used to develop its product roadmap and for market growth throughout Southeast Asia.

They’re eyeing to launch in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam subsequent, earlier than exploring growth to Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Korea and Taiwan in the long term.

Within the coming months, the corporate can even unveil new providers together with a worldwide roaming journey information SIM card, digital Worldwide Direct Dialing (IDD), and World Workplace Telephony options.

Eager clients can join Gorilla Cell’s Switch25 Cell plan on its web site. The plan is obtainable to all Singapore registered corporations, Singaporeans, Everlasting Residents, EPass, EntrePass and SPass holders aged 21 and above.

From 18 June to 18 August, new clients, each people and companies, are additionally entitled to a Invoice Distinction Reward of as much as S$50 per cell quantity, credited on to their PayNow account upon profitable port-in.

“As we’re nonetheless in our pre-launch section, regularly bringing our full providers to the market, we welcome customers to attempt our service and share their beneficial suggestions with us as we strengthen our choices and roll out extra providers to raised cater to their wants,” summed up Xanne.

Featured Picture Credit score: Gorilla Cell / Geek Tradition