Armentel pledges to embrace four more Armenian towns into 3g network

YEREVAN, November 18, /ARKA/. ArmenTel Telecommunications company, operating under Beeline trademark, pledged Tuesday to embrace four more Armenian towns into its 3G network, saying the move will double the 3G coverage in the country.

Speaking at a news conference at Novosti International Press Center, ArmenTel CEO Igor Klimko said the 3G network will extend to Armenia’s second and third largest towns of Gyumri and Vanadzor and also to Abovian and Etchmiadzin.

He said the company is keen to extend the network along with concurrent introduction of 3G and 3G+ technologies.

He said although no company has built yet facilities for providing broadband 4G services, ArmenTel, which is owned by Russian Vympelcom telecommunications, is conducting researches for establishment of 4G networks. One such network is being built in Kazakhstan and once it proves successful the 4G technology will be extended installed to all countries where Vympelcom has subsidiaries, Igor Klimko said.

The largest Armenian mobile phone operator VivaCell-MTS, owned by Russian MTS, announced lately it will start providing broadband 4G services based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology in 2010.

ArmenTel is a fully owned subsidiary of Russian Vympelcom. It provides fixed and mobile telephone and Internet services. -0-