The Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) has announced that, upon completion of a tender process for licensing 700MHz and 800MHz spectrum for 5G services, it has granted permits to two Armenian mobile network operators (MNOs). In a press release (dated 8 May), the telecoms regulator confirmed that Team Telecom Armenia was declared the winner of 2×20MHz of spectrum in the 700MHz band, and MTS Armenia (Viva-MTS) was the winner of the 2×10MHz segment offered in the 800MHz range. Each company reportedly agreed to pay AMD2.250 billion (USD5.53 million) for their licences – the term period of each has not been disclosed – plus an annual usage fee of AMD1.176 billion.
Having completed the licensing process, PSRC states that by 2025 a 5G mobile broadband network must be launched in major cities across the Republic, including Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor, ‘mainly with the introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) technology’.