"ORANGE" DAUGHTER COMPANY OF "FRANCE TELECOM" MAKES HIGHEST FINANCIAL OFFER IN TENDER OF THIRD MOBILE PHONE OPERATOR IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
Oct 6, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS: "Orange" daughter company of the
"France Telecom" presented the highest financial offer in the tender
of the third phone operator in Armenia – 51 million 500,000 euros.

Andranik Manukian, the head of the tender commission, presented today
at the Armenian Transport and Communication Ministry the financial
offers of the three companies which passed the pre-qualification
round. Thus, the Swedish "Tele 2" company’s financial offer was 45
million 600,000, Irish-English "Digicell"’s was 31 million 660,000
euros.

Armenian Transport and Communication Minister Gurgen Sargsyan said
that during three days the name of the winner will be announced.

He said until December 15 the winner company will get a final license
and from that moment will start functioning and during the 6 months
it will be able to provide services.

Within two years "Orange" must make 200 million euros’ investment. "The
experience showed that the entrance of the second phone operator
decreased the existing tariffs and promoted the increase of the level
of services of the mobile phone operators. I think that the entrance
of the third mobile phone operator will do it too," G. Sargsyan said.

The tender was announced June 27. Six companies presented application
for participation, three of them passed the pre-qualification round.