Prices for interconnect between Armenian fixed and mobile telecommunication operators set

YEREVAN, February 24. /ARKA/. On Wednesday, Armenian Public Service Regulatory Commission approved prices for interconnect between alternative fixed telecommunication operators who use non-geographical numbers and mobile telecommunication operators of Armenia.

The commission provided numbers and public network’s non-geographical codes to 15 operators for provision of fixed telecommunication services.

Before now, there were only set prices for interconnect between ArmenTel’s fixed telecommunication network and mobile telecommunication operators.

Starting from July 2010, interconnect prices will range from AMD 14.74 to AMD 19.83 per minute, depending on time.

From July 1 to January 1, 2011, per-minute prices will range between AMD 13.63 and AMD 17.02, from Jan 1 to July 1, 2011 – between AMD 12.51 and 14.21 and after July 1, 2011 AMD 11.40.

“The prices set now are similar to those set earlier for interconnect between ArmenTel and mobile operators. Orange Armenia has given its consent for these prices and hasn’t changed its decision since then,” Orange Armenia CEO Bruno Duthoit said.

Gevork Gevorgyan, chief of Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission’s division in charge of telecommunications, told journalists that the commission had set prices for interconnect between ArmenTel Telecommunication Company and alternative operators of fixed telecommunication on February 10, 2010.

“Today we added prices for K-Telecom and Orange Armenia to the then decision,” Gevorgyan said.

He said that this decision removed all the problems connected with interconnect and created favorable environment for a sound competition among fixed telecommunication operators.

Gevorgyan added that the law allows these operators to conclude new interconnect agreements on more beneficial conditions, and if no new signs of anticompetitive collusion are found out, the commission will set new prices.

Now Armenia has three mobile communication operators – ArmenTel (Beeline brand), a subsidiary of VimpelCom Group, VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) and Orange Armenia fully owned by France Telecom (Orange brand). ($1= AMD 382.13).-0--