Three companies to become Armenia’s third MNO have been shortlisted: France Telecom’s Orange, Tele2 of Sweden and Ireland-based Blackrock Communications.
The Transport and Communication Ministry Press Secretary Susanna Tonoyan told local online news portal ArmInfo that the companies must now submit formal bids within the next 40 days and the winner of the auction will be announced after the bids have been assessed. Besides cellular services, the third licensee will also be granted rights to provide internet access and, in future, WLL-based fixed telephony services. The Ministry said 17 companies initially requested bidding documents, although only six actually submitted bids: Orange, Blackrock and Tele2, plus V-Tel, Auroratel and PJ Engineering.
In July this year the PSRC announced its timetable for the award of the third licence. At the time the head of the PSRC’s telecoms division, Gevorg Gevorgian, said prospective wireless operators would have to offer to pay at least EUR 10 million (USD 16 million) for the GSM-900/1800 licence and invest a minimum EUR 200 million in their network to launch the service.
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