Josh Watkins named CEO at new blockchain telecoms venture Minutes Network

Micky and Josh Watkins, co-founders of World Mobile Group, a global mobile network powered by blockchain technology and the sharing economy, announce the latter’s departure as the company’s CIO. The announcement arrives as Josh Watkins takes on the role of CEO at Minutes Network, the world’s first blockchain-based international voice-calling and wholesale termination service provider.

Watkins describes Minutes Network as a venture “very close to his heart,” as the network will provide unparalleled international termination rates to Tier 1 global carriers, pioneering a unique approach by rewarding consumers through its proprietary Minutes Network Token (MNT) for both making and receiving calls. Operating discreetly in stealth mode and in the pre-blockchain expansion phase, the company currently terminates over one million minutes of international call traffic monthly, leveraging blockchain technology.

The international wholesale minutes market, a core part of the global telecommunications sector, involves the extensive exchange of voice-call minutes among providers, carriers, and resellers, processing over 270 billion minutes annually, generating revenues surpassing $13 billion. Despite its significant size, the industry is fragmented due to various independent providers and complex agreements, presenting an opportunity for consolidation through blockchain technologies.

“Minutes Network is a project I have had in mind for several years,” affirms Josh Watkins, incoming CEO of Minutes Network. “It is an entirely complementary business to World Mobile, essentially an infrastructure business. Minutes Network, on the other hand, is purely concerned with terminating international voice traffic. With Micky at the helm, I feel safe stepping aside and bringing my project to market. I have the right team and superb industry partners, and we are going to demonstrate to the world how blockchain technologies can transform and democratize large-scale established real-world business, starting with the international minutes’ industry.”

Leveraging more than 150 years of collective experience in the wholesale telecom industry, the Minutes Network team is on a mission to revamp the intricacies of the international wholesale market, fostering transparency for both carriers and consumers. Building on well-established relationships, the team is actively forming new partnerships with Tier 1 global carriers while providing support to key players in the telecom regulation arena.

“Josh has been working in the international wholesale voice market for nearly twenty years,” says Micky Watkins, World Mobile Co-Founder and CEO. “The new venture is very close to his heart and one he has been wanting to launch for some time. Given the outstanding work at World Mobile, we are confident and comfortable that this is the right time.”

With an eye on the future, Minutes Network has ambitious plans to broaden its user base, aspiring to become a global leader with over two billion reachable users by 2030. Stay tuned for further announcements as developments unfold in pursuit of this objective.