Armenia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Mobile Market in Armenia Undergoes Major Modernisation Program

Armenian tech upstart Team acquires Telecom Armenia after Ucom deal implodes

In a major shakeup of Armenia’s telecom sector, the state regulator in October 2020 approved the sale of the country’s oldest fixed-line and mobile operator, Telecom Armenia, to Team LLC, a company formed by two former executives and co-founders of Telecom Armenia’s competitor Ucom.

The purchase ended a long-running process beginning when Telecom Armenia’s previous owner, VEON, broke off talks with Ucom itself. This followed the arrest on corruption charges of a former finance minister who held a majority stake in Ucom, and the subsequent disappearance of his son and the head of Ucom’s Board of Directors.

Having pulled out of the deal with Ucom, VEON immediately went ahead and sold its local unit to Team. Ucom attempted to block the sale through the courts, but was unsuccessful. The sale represented a wider policy by VEON to focus on markets where it has better prospects of revenue growth.

Key statisticsRegional Asian market comparisonCountry overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authorities
Fixed-line developments
Mobile network developments

Mobile market

Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure
Major mobile operators

Fixed-line broadband market

Broadband statistics
Fixed-line broadband technologies
Fixed broadband service providers

Fixed network operators

Telecom Armenia
Ucom
Cornet-AM
GNC-ALFA

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
Nagorno-Karabakh
International infrastructure

Appendix Historic dataGlossary of abbreviationsRelated Reports

List of Tables

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Armenia 2021 (e)
Table 2 Change in the number of mobile numbers ported 2014-2019
Table 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Table 4 Percentage of the population covered by mobile networks 2011-2020
Table 5 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Table 6 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile broadband subscribers 2010-2021
Table 9 Market share of mobile subscribers by operator 2021 (Mar)
Table 10 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile subscribers 2011-2021
Table 11 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile subscribers by type 2010-2021
Table 12 Development of Beeline's mobile ARPU (AMD/month) 2010-2021
Table 13 Change in Beeline's average mobile voice traffic (minutes / user / month) 2010-2021
Table 14 Change in Beeline's average mobile data traffic 2010-2021
Table 15 Growth in the number of VivaCell-MTS's mobile subscribers 2011-2021
Table 16 Change in the number of VivaCell-MTS's mobile subscribers by type 2011-2021
Table 17 Change in VivaCell-MTS's mobile voice and data traffic 2011-2021
Table 18 Development of VivaCell-MTS's financial data (AMD billion) 2010-2021
Table 19 Development of VivaCell-MTS's financial data (RUB billion) 2010-2021
Table 20 Development of VivaCell-MTS's mobile ARPU (AMD/month) 2011-2021
Table 21 Change in the number of Ucom's mobile subscribers 2010-2021
Table 22 Development of Ucom's mobile ARPU (AMD/month) 2011-2021
Table 23 Growth in Ucom's mobile broadband traffic 2011-2021
Table 24 Change in Ucom's mobile voice traffic (minutes / user / month) 2011-2021
Table 25 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Table 26 Increase in the number of internet users and penetration 2011-2019
Table 27 Change in the number of DSL subscribers 2010-2020
Table 28 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2010-2020
Table 29 Growth in the number of Beeline's fixed broadband subscribers 2012-2021
Table 30 Development of Beeline's fixed broadband ARPU 2012-2021
Table 31 Growth in the number of Ucom's fixed broadband subscribers 2012-2021
Table 33 Development of Telecom Armenia's financial data (AMD billion) 2012-2021
Table 34 Change in Telecom Armenia's fixed line traffic 2012-2021
Table 36 Development of Ucom's financial data (AMD billion) 2011-2021
Table 37 Development of Ucom's fixed ARPU (AMD/month) 2012-2021
Table 38 Change in Ucom's fixed-line traffic 2012-2021
Table 39 Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity 2011-2026
Table 40 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2011-2020
Table 41 Lit/Equipped international bandwidth capacity 2013-2018
Table 42 Historic - Mobile subscribers 1996-2010
Table 43 Historic - Internet users 1994; 2000-2010
Table 44 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2001-2010
Table 45 Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers 2003-2010
Table 46 Historic - Fixed Line Subscriptions and Penetration 1995-2010
Table 47 Historic - ArmenTel (Beeline) - mobile subscribers 2007-2010
Table 48 Historic - VivaCell-MTS - mobile subscribers 2007-2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 Asian Telecoms Maturity Index by Market Category
Chart 2 Asian Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita
Chart 3 Telecoms Maturity Index Central Asia
Chart 4 Change in the number of mobile numbers ported 2014-2019
Chart 5 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Chart 6 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Chart 7 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile broadband subscribers 2010-2021
Chart 8 Change in the number of VivaCell-MTS's mobile broadband subscribers 2011-2021
Chart 9 Change in the number of Ucom's mobile broadband subscribers 2010-2021
Chart 10 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile subscribers 2011-2021
Chart 11 Change in the number of Beeline's mobile subscribers by type 2010-2021
Chart 12 Development of Beeline's mobile ARPU 2010-2021
Chart 13 Change in Beeline's average mobile voice traffic (minutes / user / month) 2010-2021
Chart 14 Growth in the number of VivaCell-MTS's mobile subscribers 2011-2021
Chart 15 Change in the number of VivaCell-MTS's mobile subscribers by type 2011-2021
Chart 16 Change in VivaCell-MTS's mobile voice and data traffic 2011-2021
Chart 17 Development of VivaCell-MTS's financial data (AMD) 2010-2021
Chart 18 Development of VivaCell-MTS's financial data (RUB) 2010-2021
Chart 19 Development of VivaCell-MTS's mobile ARPU (AMD/month) 2011-2021
Chart 20 Change in the number of Ucom's mobile subscribers 2010-2021
Chart 21 Development of Ucom's mobile ARPU (AMD/month) 2011-2021
Chart 22 Growth in Ucom's mobile broadband traffic 2011-2021
Chart 23 Change in Ucom's mobile voice traffic 2011-2021
Chart 24 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2011-2026
Chart 25 Change in the number of DSL subscribers 2010-2020
Chart 26 Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers 2010-2020
Chart 27 Growth in the number of Beeline's fixed broadband subscribers 2012-2021
Chart 28 Development of Beeline's fixed broadband ARPU 2012-2021
Chart 29 Growth in the number of Ucom's fixed broadband subscribers 2012-2021
Chart 30 Development of Telecom Armenia's fixed voice subscribers and ARPU 2012-2021
Chart 31 Development of Telecom Armenia's financial data (AMD billion) 2012-2021
Chart 32 Growth in the number of Ucom's fixed-line subscribers 2012-2021
Chart 33 Development of Ucom's financial data (AMD billion) 2011-2021
Chart 34 Development of Ucom's fixed ARPU (AMD/month) 2012-2021
Chart 35 Change in Ucom's fixed-line traffic 2012-2021
Chart 36 Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity 2011-2026

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 Key Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 Central Asia - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country
Exhibit 3 Mobile operators and systems