Biz-lib.com: New Report Says Armenia's Telecommunications Sector Set to Grow.

LONDON -- "2005 Central Asian Broadband and Internet Markets", a new report offered by Biz-lib.com, suggests that Armenia's telecommunications sector is steadily growing. With almost 600,000 fixed-line subscribers for a population of about 4 million people, the level of investment in infrastructure and new services has begun to increase. The report warns, however, that there are major structural issues to be addressed in the sector. ArmenTel, the country's national telecom provider, has exclusive rights to the provision of all telecoms services, including public switched telephony services and mobile telephony, in Armenia until 2013.

The report notes that Internet services are outside ArmenTel's monopoly. The country's Internet market is small (penetration 7.5%), but has been developing steadily. However, there are still several major obstacles in the way of improved Internet connectivity. Not unexpectedly, these include poor telecom infrastructure; expensive telephone lines; the high cost of computer equipment relative to an average worker's salary; political unrest in some regions of the country, which impedes infrastructure reform and intimidates potential sponsors and donors, and a heavy dependence on international funding, making long-range planning difficult.

Full details of this latest Biz-lib.com analysis can be found at http://www.biz-lib.com/ZPB80390.html