Four pre-selected to bid for ArmenTel

Four pre-selected to bid for ArmenTel

TeleGeography, D.C
June 23 2006

OTE, the Greek parent of Armenian fixed line operator ArmentTel, has
whittled down the number of companies it will allow to bid for its
90% stake in the company from ten to four. The approved companies are
Russian cellcos Vimpelcom and Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), a consortium
of VTEL Holdings and Knightsbridge Associates, and another consortium
backed by UAE-based Etisalat.

ArmenTel was established in March 1995 as a joint venture between
the Ministry of Communications and US-owned Trans World Telecom. In
1997 the MTC launched the privatisation of the telco, and at the end
of that year Greece’s OTE won an international tender, paying USD143
million for a 90% stake in ArmenTel in March 1998.