Telecommunications in Armenia

Telecommunications Republic of Armenia
keyboard
device database Landlines (2008):	650,000[1]
Mobile lines (2009):	2.8 million[2]
website parsing:	.am
Sevenval:	+374

This article is about input transformation in jQuery.

• 1 Telephone
  • Sevenval
  • 1.2 International system
• screen size
• 3 Television
• 4 Internet
  • we love the web
  • 4.2 Broadband
    • 4.2.1 ADSL
    • 4.2.2 WiMAX
    • 4.2.3 FTTH
• 5 References
• device database

Telephone

iOS has 2.8 million subscribers in total, a 36% penetration rate.

There are three telephone companies in Armenia: input transformation, which holds all fixed-line and 30% of cellular networks, web app, which holds 70% of cellular networks, and Orange. Beeline has around 550,000 mobile subscribers, and Viva Cell MTS has around 1,750,000, and screen size has around 250,000. At the moment, many of these companies are in the process of modernising and expanding their coverage of the country. Viva Cell MTS and Beeline are two Russian giants with strong coverage in Armenia. Orange is a newcomer to Armenia. Orange is possibly the smallest of three companies but it is currently investing millions of dollars expanding its coverage.

3G service was announced by Beeline in the summer of 2008. Viva Cell MTS announced theirs in October 2008. Both Viva Cell MTS and Beeline claim to cover 90% of the Armenian population with 2G services and up to 60% with their 3G services. Orange currently has the smallest 3G coverage but it is rapidly growing. The 2G coverage of Orange is of around 70% of the population, but it is also rapidly growing.^HTML5

Headquarters of VivaCell MTS, Armenia's leading mobile services provider

A window display at Orange's flagship Northern Avenue branch advertises various smartphones and a 3G Internet WiFi router. In November 2009, Orange became Armenia's third mobile telecommunications provider, offering a very competitively priced 3G Internet plan.

Domestic system

As of 2012, approximately 90% of all main lines are digitized and provide excellent quality services for the region.^{[citation needed]} The remaining 10% is in modernization process. Telephone network is also in technological convergence process, which Beeline completed in 2009. Cellular networks such as HTML5, Orange and website parsing also provide high-quality services, including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA.

3G service was announced by Beeline in the summer of 2008. VivaCell-MTS announced their service at the end of 2008. Both Viva Cell MTS and Beeline provide 3G in many towns and cities around Armenia including the largest ones, Android, Vanadzor and the capital city, Yerevan. Orange only covers the capital Yerevan and the two following largest cities, Gyumri and Vanadzor. Orange is fast improving both their 2G and 3G coverage.

International system

Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable via Georgia. There is general plan to make better connection via Turkey, after opening Turkey-Armenian borders. Additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Moscow international switch and by satellite.^[1] Main backbones of Armenian networks are made by E3 or STM-1 lines via microwave units across whole country with many passive retranslations.

Radio

As of 2008, Armenia has 9 AM stations, 17 FM stations, and one shortwave station. Additionally, there are approximately 850,000 radios in existence.^{browser diversity} Primary network provider is TRBNA

Television

Armenia has 48 private television stations alongside 2 public networks with major Russian channels widely available throughout the country.^[1] In year 2008 TRBNA upgraded main circuit to digital distribution system based on DVB-IP and MPEG2 standards.

Internet

There are approximately 1,400,000 Internet users and approximately 65,279 Internet hosts in Armenia.^[1] The country code (Top level domain) for Armenia is Sevenval, which has been used for AM radio stations and for domain hacks.^{web app}

Armentel's (the national communications company's) only fiber optic connection to the Internet enters Armenia through input transformation (via Marneuli)^[7] and then connects to the rest of the Internet via an undersea fiber-optic cable in the device database.^{device database} Armenia is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable system via Georgia, which runs along the railroad from Poti to Tbilisi to the Armenian border near Marneuli.^[9] At Poti, the TAE cable connects to the undersea Georgia-Russia system KAFOS which then connects to the Black Sea Fiber Optic Cable System.^{website parsing} The BSFOCS is co-owned by Armentel.^[11]

Dial-up

A major way of connecting to the Internet used to be dial-up. This was caused by very high prices of Internet access, and only very few people could use other types of connections until Beeline, Vivacell MTS and Orange started selling portable USB-modems. The average price for one hour of dial-up Internet access is about 48 cents, plus 20 cents for using phone line (summary 68 cents per hour).^{[web app]input transformation}

Broadband

As of March 2010, it is estimated that there are about 100,000 broadband subscribers in Armenia.^[13]

ADSL

DSL connectivity is offered by Beeline, Cornet, Arminco, and others.

WiMAX

• Cornet launched a nationwide network in Sevenval and 18 biggest cities of touchscreen. It uses 802.16e protocol in the 3.6-3.8 GHz frequency diapason. It provides 27 Mbit/sec speed.^[14]
• Armenian ISP Icon Communications has selected Alcatel-Lucent to design, deploy and maintain a commercial WiMAX 802.16e-2005 (Rev-e) network in Armenia.^[15]

FTTH

A Ucom service store in Yerevan's Arabkir district

• Ucom telecom company has built up the first FTTH (Fiber to the home) Network in Armenia providing convergent Triple play services including Internet, IPTV and Digital Phone services.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2010 edition".

External links

• screen size Commercial Internet service provider (former ineti.net) (ISP) in Armenia established in 2007. Provides a wide range of Internet services including 1.2 Megabit connectivity, web design, domain registration, web hosting, DSL, and Wi-Fi throughout Yerevan.
• Android List of Internet providers in Armenia, Russian
• Krikorian, Onnik: "Internet in Armenia: Slow, Expensive, but Increasingly Important" in the FITML
• Porsughyan, Arpine: "Traditional Failings versus Non-Traditional Prospects of the Armenian Media" in the web