VIVACELL TO COMPETE WITH ARMENTEL

PanARMENIAN.Net - K-Telecom, the second mobile telecommunication operator in Armenia, will set about commercial activities in the country. As company Director General Ralf Yerikyan stated in the course of a news conference in Yerevan, K-Telecom will have VivaCell trademark in Armenia. In Yerikyan's words, the Government of Armenia issued the license for providing mobile telecommunication services in Armenia to K-Telecom in November 2004. Based on the license the company intends to launch its network first of all in Yerevan and then in Armavir, Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Gegharkunik regions. In his words, the company intends to raise the number of subscribers to 300 thousand within 3 months. In Yerikyan's words, at the moment K-Telecom has invested some $75 in Armenia. He said VivaCell provides two packages of services: Alo that provides for payment for conversations in advance, and Classic, which is a system of subscriber payment, which also includes a corroborative package of services. In his words, the service packages will be sold at 1000 sales points. VivaCell subscribers will be able to use SMS, VMS and GPRS from the first day. Lebanese entrepreneur Pierre Fattouch is the main shareholder of K-Telecom, as well as the Fattouch Investment Group founded by his family members. R. Yerikyan did not specify tariffs of the services in Armenia. He only said K-Telecom subscribers may encounter some problems when making international calls, as ArmenTel still sustains monopoly here. In his words, VivaCell subscribers will not pay for received calls and will be able to use diverse packages of services based on their needs and payment abilities.