Order of zoning for international roaming to be worked out in Armenia

YEREVAN, December 3. /ARKA/. An order of fixing zone prices for international roaming will be elaborated in Armenia.

Samvel Arabajyan, member of the RA Public Services Regulatory Commission, said that the issue of zoning has not yet been settled in Armenia.

He pointed out that the one tariffication zone covers Europe, Australi, Asia, including Kazakhstan, where the cost of one-minute call averages 1,900 AMD (about $6.3).

“It should also be noted that the international roaming services rendered by ArmenTel are 39% to 400% as expensive as those rendered by VivaCell-MTS,” Arabajyan said.

He stressed the need for serious regulation of the sector, including the disposition of profits by the local providers.

“The document is expected to be drafted and submitted to the Commission as soon as late January,” Arabajyan said.

Two mobile operators are working in Armenia: ArmenTel (fully owned by VimpelCom), and VivaCell-MTS (with its control stock held by the Russian MTS Company).

A third mobile operator, FTA-Telecom (fully owned by France Telecom, Orange brand) has been issued a final license, but plans to start revenue service of its network next winter. –0—