ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug 24 2007

Armenian Armentel Telecommunication Company to be stripped of all
monopolies

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. Armenian ArmenTel Telecommunication
Company is to be stripped of its all monopolies on October 1,
Armenian Public Services Regulating Commission says.

The commission decided at its Friday’s session to strip the company
of its sole right to provide telecommunication services for the
conjugated telecommunication network, including local, intercity and
international telecommunication.

According to the decision, ArmenTel will no longer enjoy monopoly on
providing services through the company-set telephones, including
those operating on telephone, credit and debit cards.

Under the decision, ArmenTel will also be stripped of its monopoly on
providing public mobile communication services, excluding GSM, mobile
satellite and mobile specialized radio services.

Along with that, ArmenTel will no longer enjoy monopoly on providing
non-basic services on internal or international telecommunication,
including free talks and voice conveying through Internet.

Gevorg Gevorgyan, the chief of the commission’s
telecommunication-regulating unit, said at the session that the
decision was grounded on the commitments Vympelcom Company assumed as
acquired ArmenTel.

He thinks that as a result, Armenian telecommunication market will
become more liberal and transparent.

Robert Nazaryan, the commission chairman, said that for long years
Armenian community had demanded ArmenTel to waive its sole right.
`That’s why we view this moment as a landmark event’, he said.

The quota of ArmenTel, the second mobile telecommunication operator,
at mobile communication market is 33%.

Russian Vympelcom (Bee Line) holds 100% of the company’s shares.
ArmenTel had 608.5thnd stationary telecommunication and 452thnd
mobile communication subscribers by late 2006. M.V.-0—