UCOM. "AT THE MOMENT, WE DO NOT INTEND TO BECOME THE 4TH OPERATOR OF MOBILE CONNECTION"
November 6 2013
In the conversation with Aravot.am, "Ucom" Commercial Director Aram
Barseghyan assured that currently the company has no intention to
become the 4th operator of mobile connection in Armenia, though the
company has always had the ability to voice services. It should be
noted that, yesterday, the Public Services Regulatory Commission
granted a license to "Ucom" for providing public mobile internet
connection services. The company received permission to use 801-811
MHz/842-852 MHz, radio frequency segment of transmission (reception),
with the help which the company will provide an outdoor broadband
internet coverage in the city of Yerevan and adjacent main communities
within one year, and during 2 years it will provide at least 80%
of outdoor broadband internet coverage for the interstate highways,
as well as the settlements of Armenia. The technology, which the
company will work, i.e. 4G, also enables to provide cellular service,
and according to Mr. Barseghyan, perhaps this is the reason that rumors
are already circulating that "Ucom" wants to become the 4th operator.
"Physically, this frequency has an opportunity, let's not say,
to provide voice service, because voice service in this case is no
different from any form of data transmission service. And whether
we want to act as the 4th operator, or not, I assure you that we do
not have such intention in our nearest projects",-assured Commercial
Director of the company to Aravot.am. And, to our question whether
a year later the company will change its mind and decide to provide
mobile connection, and whether the company is going to obtain new
telephone numbers, Mr. Barseghyan said that the license does not
include a series of numbers. "At the moment we do not have such an
intention, we have plans to provide mobile Internet, as for number
series as such, we do not have, with the help of which we could
provide voice messaged." Although, it is possible to provide the
so-called mobile connection with the company's technology, but for
having numbers, the company still has to apply to the Public Services
Regulatory Commission. To the question of Aravot.am whether it is
possible for them to study the market by 2015 and provide voice
service, or 'Ucom' like other operators believes that the market
is already saturated, Mr. Barseghyan said, "If you have asked this
question a year ago whether we intent to provide a mobile internet
service, I would say 'no'. And, as for the market saturation, yes,
it is full, but I do not think that the market is also saturated in
quality. I think that the new competition is always bringing something
in quality. Eventually, this boom by other "mobile" operators is
connected with the matter that they have made a lot of investments
and have no successes, therefore there is a fear that if the 4th
operator appears, what the state of the market will be. As for the
mobile internet, I don't think that the market is full, as of today,
there is no highest quality mobile internet, and I think we have
something to say, in this regard."
Nelly Babayan
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/11/06/162401/
November 6 2013
In the conversation with Aravot.am, "Ucom" Commercial Director Aram
Barseghyan assured that currently the company has no intention to
become the 4th operator of mobile connection in Armenia, though the
company has always had the ability to voice services. It should be
noted that, yesterday, the Public Services Regulatory Commission
granted a license to "Ucom" for providing public mobile internet
connection services. The company received permission to use 801-811
MHz/842-852 MHz, radio frequency segment of transmission (reception),
with the help which the company will provide an outdoor broadband
internet coverage in the city of Yerevan and adjacent main communities
within one year, and during 2 years it will provide at least 80%
of outdoor broadband internet coverage for the interstate highways,
as well as the settlements of Armenia. The technology, which the
company will work, i.e. 4G, also enables to provide cellular service,
and according to Mr. Barseghyan, perhaps this is the reason that rumors
are already circulating that "Ucom" wants to become the 4th operator.
"Physically, this frequency has an opportunity, let's not say,
to provide voice service, because voice service in this case is no
different from any form of data transmission service. And whether
we want to act as the 4th operator, or not, I assure you that we do
not have such intention in our nearest projects",-assured Commercial
Director of the company to Aravot.am. And, to our question whether
a year later the company will change its mind and decide to provide
mobile connection, and whether the company is going to obtain new
telephone numbers, Mr. Barseghyan said that the license does not
include a series of numbers. "At the moment we do not have such an
intention, we have plans to provide mobile Internet, as for number
series as such, we do not have, with the help of which we could
provide voice messaged." Although, it is possible to provide the
so-called mobile connection with the company's technology, but for
having numbers, the company still has to apply to the Public Services
Regulatory Commission. To the question of Aravot.am whether it is
possible for them to study the market by 2015 and provide voice
service, or 'Ucom' like other operators believes that the market
is already saturated, Mr. Barseghyan said, "If you have asked this
question a year ago whether we intent to provide a mobile internet
service, I would say 'no'. And, as for the market saturation, yes,
it is full, but I do not think that the market is also saturated in
quality. I think that the new competition is always bringing something
in quality. Eventually, this boom by other "mobile" operators is
connected with the matter that they have made a lot of investments
and have no successes, therefore there is a fear that if the 4th
operator appears, what the state of the market will be. As for the
mobile internet, I don't think that the market is full, as of today,
there is no highest quality mobile internet, and I think we have
something to say, in this regard."
Nelly Babayan
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/11/06/162401/