ALTERNATIVE TELECOMMUNICATION NET IN ARMENIA WILL HAVE LOW RETURN FOR GENERAL UNDERPOPULATION IN COUNTRY
arminfo
2008-05-13 18:51:00
ArmInfo. An alternative telecommunication network in Armenia will
have low return for the general underpopulation in the country,
ARMENIAN DATACOM COMPANY (ADC) General Director Harald Grytten says
in an interview with ArmInfo when commenting on the possibilities
of liquidating the natural infrastructure monopoly in the country’s
telecommunication market. He believes that creation of an alternative
net is unprofitable. It is possible to return investments only in the
capital city, in regions it is impossible. As a result, the potential
field of activity will be sharply reduced, H. Grytten says. He is sure
that despite the alternative nets of optic and wireless technologies,
DSL communication has always been dominating, and the statistics of
European countries is an evidence of it. Cable net users exceed the DSL
user only in the USA due to the wide penetration of IP-television,
which is just being launched in Armenian, he says. As a result,
telecommunication net and the terms of access to it are becoming of
special importance. In this conditions, ADC Director General believes
that state regulatory agencies must elaborate stricter rules of
activity in the telecommunication market.
In such situation the company attaches a special importance to
negotiations and considers the readiness to conduct talks a good sign,
he says.
Speaking about the terms of using the net, suggested by ArmenTel,
ADC director says they cannot radically change the situation in
the telecommunication market. He also added that the problem of
subscriber’s tariff differentiation known in Europe as Local Loop
Unbundling, (LLU), continues being one of the vexed problems at the
Armenian market. ArmenTel gave access to the DSL lines to the companies
interested but only subject to buying the "port", i.e. preserving
total control over the telecommunication net. But even such partial
introduction of LLU is a step forward by ArmenTel. Let’s wait for
further developments, H.Grytten says.
To recall, in April of the current year ArmenTel
changed internet-communication tariffs for final users and
internet-providers. For this reason representatives of ArmenTel said
there was a chance of creation of alternative communication nets
by the interested companies if they are not pleased with ArmenTel
net services.