Armenia Telephone Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Armenia Telephone Company, briefly ArmenTel, is the largest telecommunications enterprises of Armenia. The company belongs to the second largest Russian portable radio offerer VimpelCom since 2006 to 90%.
[edit] History
In the Armenian SSR the Telefonie was adjusted by the post office and communication Ministry. The telephone network was operated in the capital Yerevan and the remainder of the republic by in each case a monopolist. 1995 were sold again created that Armenia of telephones company (ArmenTel) as a monopolist for international calls to 49% to the American company Trans World Telecom. 1996 fused ArmenTel with the operator of the telephone network of Yerevan and 1997 with the operator of the net in the remainder of the country.
[edit] 1998 to 2006
1998 took over the Greek ex monopolist OTE had 90% of ArmenTel, the remaining portions remained at the hands of the Armenian government. The government granted ArmenTel a Monpol for 15 years, while OTE committed itself, in the fixed net, the structure and the development of a portable radio net to invest. According to own data ArmenTel has approximately 200 millions alone in the years 1998-2003. US Dollar invests.
However OTE was accused of using the monopolistic position of the ArmenTel and to fulfill with the privatization entered conditions insufficiently. The Internet tariffs were approximately three times as high as in Georgian and Azerbaijan. After OTE threatened to withdraw itself from ArmenTel became on 4 November 2004with the Armenian government a compromise found, with which OTE remains in the fixed net business monopolist. In response investment promises were concertized and OTE consented to give the monopolistic position up of the portable radio section ArmenTel GSM whereupon for only 7 millions. US Dollar was assigned briskly a second portable radio license to the Lebanese company K-Telecom.
When on 1 July 2005 the new competitor under the name VivaCell took his portable radio net in Armenia in enterprise, the ArmenTels broke down for week. In the spring 2006 customers for fictitious on-line telephone calls were asked into countries such as Osttimor to the cash. ArmenTel stated to carry no debt at the calculations. Processes are pending.
ArmenTel is the second largest taxpayer of Armenia (e.g. in the year 2005 15.3 billion Dram, converted approximately 28 millions euro)
