Gamma Communications has celebrated the rise of a startup that is targeting children’s online safety. Rebel Telecom, a sister company of Rebel Therapies, was founded to offer children a safer entry point to the use of mobile phones.
Its service is powered by Gamma Communications, which provides an MVNO Service to the startup. This week, Rebel Telecom was invited to a special Parliamentary briefing – ‘Beyond the Ban: Building Digital Resilience for the Next Generation’ at the House of Commons. This was hosted by MP Clive Lewis.
Also attending the briefing was Claire Preston, Co-Founder of the Work Ready Collective. Who, in a LinkedIn post, revealed that the discussion centred on how to safely equip young people to let them thrive in a digital world.
She noted, “Technology isn’t the enemy. It has transformed how we learn, connect and create. But many of the platforms children use today were never designed with children in mind. They are commercial products built to maximise engagement, and that changes the conversation from individual responsibility to shared responsibility.”
Rebel Telecom aims to help solve the challenge
It is that challenge that Rebel Telecom was created to solve. The solution cannot come too soon. With Ofcim recently noting that 94% of secondary school-aged children now own a mobile phone. Mobile phone usage is not limited to the UK, with Statista estimating that 95% of 13 – 17-year-olds had access to a smartphone in 2023.
For Rebel Telecom, the invitation was a recognition of its potential and leadership in this field. Munur Shah, Co-founder of Rebel Telecom, stated, “This has never been about creating another mobile network. It’s about asking whether technology can be designed to work for children, families and schools, rather than expecting them to adapt to technology.
“The invitation to Parliament reflects something much bigger than Rebel Telecom. It shows there is growing recognition that industry has an important role to play alongside parents, educators and government in shaping healthier digital lives for young people.
“Gamma believed in our vision from an early stage and gave us the platform to turn that vision into reality. Without that support, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Is Legislation the answer?
The safety of children is not one organisation’s responsibility. In fact, parents, governments, non-profits, technology organisations and others must share the burden of providing safer environments.
With an increasing use of mobile devices at an ever younger age, this is a large market that parents need to carefully consider whether they wish to grant access to the wider internet for their children. Ofcom found that 65% of parents with children under the age of 2 go online regularly, 56% of 10-year-olds and 83% of 11-year-olds use a smartphone.
Usage is also climbing steeply. With children aged 8–14 spending an average of one day a week online. With 15-to 17-year-olds spending 2 days every week online.
The UK government is also taking action. The Online Safety Act restricted access to pornography for under-18s earlier this year. It is also passing Legislation to block children under 16 from holding accounts on major social networks, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. This is due to come into effect in Spring 2027.
The briefing included sharing views about how mobile networks can help protect children. Technology vendors should also play a part in solving the challenge.
Rebel offers Smartphones for Children
Rebel is a start up that aims to help parents with the challenge of keeping their children safe. It believes that Legislation is not the only means of keeping children safe. It recently launched in the UK a Smartphone based on Google technology and connected through Gamma that provides a safer mobile environment for children.
Each device has a purpose-built operating system that is child first, restricting the use of social media, no open browsers, and that gives full parental controls. It also remains compliant with School regulations.
The difference is that while some mobile providers lock down access, these restrictions can be broken. In taking an approach that provides a solution by design, Rebel has created a purpose-built smartphone that not only protects the child but also limits online usage. Screen addiction is a real challenge for parents, as Shah notes in his book, Screen Addict: Parenting Success Stories That Will Change Your Life.
As Co-founder and CTO Eli Samuel noted, the Rebel phones are “A real smartphone built for childhood – calling, messaging, maps, and parent-approved apps. No social media. No open browsers. No addictive algorithms.”
The Smartphone leverages the Gamma mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) platform. Using the parental control features, parents can gradually open up access to new features and apps as the child grows. Schools are able to switch phones to a restricted mode during the school day. Thus, ensuring that phone usage is compliant with school rules.
The unique component of the Rebel SIM Plans is that customers can direct up to 10% of their monthly spend towards a school, university, college or the YES Foundation. It means that any usage directly helps the education of young people. With parents choosing who benefits from their child’s usage.
Technology alone is only part of the answer
Every Rebel Telecom SIM plan – whether for families, individuals or businesses – enables customers to create a telecom model that reinvests directly into education and young people. Gamma recognises the impact for good that the Rebel Telecom approach offers.
Mike Mills, Managing Director of Service Providers at Gamma, commented, “At Gamma, we’ve always believed technology should improve lives. When we first met Munur and the Rebel Telecom team, it was clear this wasn’t simply another mobile proposition. It was an opportunity to use connectivity as a force for good.
“Supporting organisations with bold ideas is part of who we are, but what really resonated was the purpose behind Rebel Telecom. Their ambition to help children develop healthier relationships with technology, while giving back to schools and communities, aligns closely with our own values.
“We’re proud that our MVNO platform has helped turn that vision into reality, and we’re equally proud to see that conversation now taking place in Parliament.”
The Parliamentary event marks the latest milestone in Rebel Telecom’s growth, following its recent UK launch. The company is already working with schools across the country. It has plans to expand its education offering, develop new device partnerships and take its model into international markets. Gamma will continue to support Rebel Telecom as it scales its services through its MVNO platform.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Gamma and Rebel did not explain the partnership details. It is unclear how much Gamma is supporting the philanthropic gifting that Rebel offers through its contracts. However, it clearly supports the innovative startup in a sector that is both growing and socially important to the UK and other nations.
It will be interesting to see how Rebel expands and whether it decides to move into the EU. The firm is currently based in the UK. It will be interesting to see whether Rebel Telecom looks to raise a significant sum in a Series A round to accelerate growth. Could Gamma invest in this startup in the near future?
Correction. The article previously stated that Rebel Telecom was a sister company of Rebel Internet and it is not related to that company