Yerevan /Mediamax/. Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia considers the possibility to implement Mobile Number Probability (MNP) services in the territory of Armenia. The service allows the subscriber making a transition from one mobile operator to another, at that preserving the full number of his/her cell phone.

Head of PSRC Telecommunication Department Gevorg Gevorgyan said this in an interview to Mediamax.

According to him, at present the issue is on the Commission’s agenda, works are in process on studying and analyzing the experience of European countries, which have implemented MNP.

After concluding the preliminary stage on studying the European practice and the specific peculiarities of the local market, PSRC will present the proposals on the possible implementation of Mobile Number Probability service in Armenia.

Gevorg Gevorgyan stressed that MNP is one of the elements to secure competition in the mobile connection market. At that, he noted, this service is more applicable in countries, which have 100% mobile connection penetration. Gevorg Gevorgyan stated that in Armenia the market saturation does not reach such volumes.

PSRC representative stated that in Germany, a necessity appeared after MNP implementation to determine the minimum threshold of tariffs for mobile connection, since the operators, which functioned in the market, started applying the so-called “predatory tariffs”.

Gevorg Gevorgyan stated in an interview to Mediamax that the possible implementation of MNP will require legislative changes, since when the law on “Electronic Communication” was approved, a single mobile connection operator – “ArmenTel” was functioning in Armenia, and it was inexpedient to provide for MNP in conditions of factual monopoly then. Besides, the operators will have to realize the corresponding technical reequipment.

PSRC representative refrained from naming concrete dates to start a topical discussion of the given process with operators, since MNP implementation provides for elaborating a conception for cooperation between them. Gevorg Gevorgyan informed that initial working discussions have already been realized with the current operators; however, “before committing companies to millions of investments, PSRC should realize a thorough analysis and should have the corresponding grounds”. 

At present, there are two mobile connection operators functioning in Armenia – “ArmenTel” Company, 100% shares of which belong to “VimpelCom” OJSC (Beeline brand) and “VivaCell-MTS”, the control share package of which belongs to MTS. By the end of which year, the third operator – FTA Telecom (Orange brand) plans to start its work in the Armenian market.