Armenia extends its opportunities of linking to
international communication lines
20-02-2009 18:00:00 | Armenia | Economy
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.