State of Internet Access in Armenia: From Fiber to the Final Frontier
Armenia’s journey to modern internet connectivity began in the 1990s with a single dominant telecom operator. After independence in 1991, the national operator ArmenTel held a legal monopoly over telephony and internet services. This monopoly, granted in 1998, hindered early internet growth, as competitors were barred and infrastructure investments lagged hetq.am azatutyun.am. By the mid-2000s, however, reforms were underway. ArmenTel’s exclusive rights were effectively ended around 2005–2007, opening the market to new internet service providers and mobile operators azatutyun.am. The sector “saw rapid growth” once the monopoly was broken, with new players spurring competition and network expansion azatutyun.am.