UNION OF TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES FOUNDED IN ARMENIA

ARKA
July 18

A union of telecommunication companies has been established in
Armenia. The organization called "Voice" was registered a week ago,
Chairman of the Union Artyom Khachatryan reported.

Thirteen companies licensed to provide VoIP – Voice-over-IP services
are the founders of the organization which has a mission to improve
internet-telephony services in Armenia and address the existing
problems.

Khachatryan said there are no major legislative problems in the sphere,
the market has been liberalized and there are all necessary conditions
for competition. Thus, the Union’s task is to see that these conditions
are maintained and followed.

Among the Union’s priority tasks he singled out regulation of tariffs
of VoIP services, combating unfair competition and the de-facto
dominating positions of two companies – VivaCell and ArmenTel.

"We believe that it is first of al in the interest of the government,
small and medium enterprises, the people and the investors to solve
these problems," Khachatryan said.

The organisation says it is ready to collaborate with the government,
the Public Services Regulatory Commission, The State Commission for
Protection of Economic Competition, ArmenTel, VivaCell, as well as
all companies and organizations involved and will turn to them with
relevant proposals next week. Currently, 108 l icense companies are
providing VoIP telephony services in Armenia.

VoIP is a communication system able to transmit voice signal via the
Internet or any other IP-network.