ARMENTEL GIVES UP TWO OF ITS MONOPOLIES
Armenpress
Dec 18 2006
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory
Commission has reviewed today License 60 that granted ArmenTel
telephone operator exclusive rights in several services, lifting its
monopolies on Internet data transmission and Internet voice transfer,
but the company will hold exclusive rights in fixed-telephone services.
Lifting ArmenTel’s monopolies was one of the terms of the company’s
sale to the Russian Vimpelcom, which now owns its 90 percent stake. Now
after this major change Internet providers in Armenia may sign separate
agreements with international providers for transmission of data.
The change also allows the second mobile phone provider- VivaCell-
which had to use ArmenTel’s stations, to create its own station
for transmission of international voice data. The Public Services
Regulatory Commission told ArmenTel and Viva Cell to incorporate
relating changes into their inter-operability agreement until February
1, 2007.
But a member of the Commission warned this does not mean immediate
opening up of the sector to competition, as they have yet to address
many legislative and technical problems.
Russian Vimpelcom paid 341.9 million euros ($436.3 million) plus
about 40 million euros (US$51 million) in debt to takeover ArmenTel
from the Greek OTE.