OFFICIAL: FRANCE TELECOM FILES HIGHEST BID FOR ARMENIAN GSM LICENSE

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
October 6, 2008 Monday 6:33 PM EET
Russia

France Telecom, which provides cellular services under the Orange
brand, has filed the highest bid for a GSM license in Armenia,
Andranik Manukyan, the chairman of the tender commission and an
adviser to the Armenian president, told reporters Monday.

France Telecom offered 51.5 million euros for the license, while
Sweden’s Tele2 offered 45.6 million euros and Anglo-Irish consortium
CEO Blackrock Communication offered 31.66 million euros, he said.

The license winner will be officially announced within three days,
Manukyan said.

"(Orange) will get a preliminary license for 10 days to register in
Armenia. All the formal procedures should be completed by December 15,"
Gurgen Sarkisyan, the transport minister of Armenia, said.

Armenia launched the tender for the country’s third GSM license in
June 2008. Seventeen companies applied for the tender, while only
three were shortlisted.

Armenia’s two GSM operators, ArmenTel and K-Telecom, are subsidiaries
of Russia’s VimpelCom and MTS, respectively.