Mobell Communications Wins King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

Mobell Communications, a UK-based telecoms company whose entire revenue is generated from Japan-focused services, has been awarded a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. What makes Mobell truly unique is that it is a wholly owned trading subsidiary of a UK-registered charity, meaning 100% of its business profits are donated to charitable causes in Malawi and Japan.

Based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, Mobell is one of only 197 organisations across the UK to receive a King’s Award in 2025. The award recognises Mobell’s outstanding growth in overseas sales, with a 130% increase over the past three years - driven entirely by its services for customers connected to Japan.

Through its trusted brands - Mobal, Hanacell, and MobalPay - Mobell provides essential mobile and payment solutions including SIM cards, eSIMs, pocket Wi-Fi devices, and international payment cards. These services are used by:

• Tourists visiting Japan
• Japanese people living overseas
• Foreign residents living, working, or studying in Japan

With offices in both the UK and Japan, Mobell is known for delivering reliable, user-friendly solutions that help customers stay connected and manage daily life in Japan with ease. Mobal, the company’s telecoms service, provides SIM, eSIM and pocket WiFi solutions for tourists and foreign residents in Japan, and are trusted by thousands to provide access to a reliable Japanese phone number. MobalPay, the company’s payment card service, provides a convenient and secure way for international residents in Japan to handle transactions, often bridging a gap in financial accessibility for newcomers navigating a new country. Hanacell, Mobell’s Japanese-language telecoms service, provides Japanese nationals with connectivity solutions when overseas and when returning to Japan.

All Mobell’s profits are donated to its parent charity, the Krizevac Project (UK charity no. 1115608), turning every business success into lasting social impact.

Among the projects funded by Mobell is Seibo Japan, a registered Japanese NGO that provides free school meals to vulnerable children in Malawi. Thanks to support from Mobell and other donors, Seibo now feeds over 18,000 children every day and has served millions of hot meals to date- helping children stay in school, grow healthy, and break the cycle of poverty.

Mobell also supports a not-for-profit coffee company in Japan, which sources beans directly from smallholder coffee farmers in Malawi. Proceeds from coffee sales are reinvested into community development and economic empowerment in rural Malawi.

Declan Somers, CEO of Mobell Communications, said: “We’re honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise. This recognition celebrates not just our commercial growth, but our purpose: to run a business that puts impact at the heart of everything we do. Everything Mobell is able to achieve—feeding children, supporting farmers, creating jobs—is thanks to our customers. Every SIM, WiFi device or MobalPay card used helps build a better future for someone in need.”

Mobell’s UK office, located on the site of a former coal mine in Hednesford, symbolises a transformation from traditional industry to global social enterprise.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, now in its 59th year, is the UK’s highest official honour for business excellence. Winners are selected for their achievements in areas such as international trade, innovation, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity. Award recipients may use the prestigious King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.