YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. ArmenTel CJSC is at the stage of signing an agreement on laying a new line linking Armenia to the international fiber-optic line passing through Turkey. CNC-Alfa company is building a fiber-optic channel in parallel with the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. It will connect Armenia with the international fiber-optic line through Iran. Fibernet's and ArmenTel's access lines connected with the international communication lines passing through Georgia currently operate in Armenia. NT correspondent was informed about it by Armen Grigorian, Secretary of the IT Development Support Council (ITDSC), Head of the Armenian Development Agency's (ADA) Secretariate on IT Development Issues. In terms of developing the communication networks in Armenia, he attached importance to the connection of channels of the companies providing communication services, as well as to the start of the process of signing agreements on conditions of the sale or exchange of traffic. He expressed an opinion that the current situation in this market is like "the previous situation in Armenia's gasoline market when gasoline was sold in cans". In the words of A. Grigorian, there is no necessity for the state to intervene in the market of the last mile Internet services because the operation of other big companies (in addition to ArmenTel) in this market has led to the fall in prices and the improvement of quality of last mile services. "The providers raise the issue of use of penalties against ArmenTel at ITDSC because the hi-line service provided by ArmenTel makes competition in the "last mile" market impossible". A. Grigorian conditioned the opportunities of further development of Armenia's Internet market by the fact that the third mobile operator - Orange Armenia will start providing its services in late 2009, while its founder - Orange company which is part of France Telecon group has a great experience in the international market of development of broadband Internet networks. "As regards wireless Internet, it was announced that Armenia is among those few countries that have a WiMax national network, but these networks become especially efficient in mountainous areas when they are connected to fiber-optic channels and Wi-Fi stations". In this connection A. Grigorian underlined the importance of state investments for creation of a powerful network of fiber-optic channels in Armenia. This goal is reflected in the concept of Armenian IT sector's development approved by the government in 2008.

---