On January 12, 2005 the National Commission on Television and Radio announced broadcast licensing competitions for frequency diapasons of 2300-2400 MHz and 2500-2700 MHz of Yerevan. The deadline for the bids in the competitions is on April 11, 2005. The bids will be considered by the National Commission on April 22.
The frequencies presented for the competition have a pre-history of their own. In September last year the press questioned the legitimacy of the launch of the so-called “supersystem”, owned by “A UP” company that got an opportunity to rebroadcast 50 TV channels in GHz diapason. The permission for re-broadcasting was issued by the Republican Telecommunications Center of the RA Ministry of Transportation and Communication. On its behalf, the National Commission on Television and Radio insisted to license these frequencies by competition (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 17-23, 2004).
The dispute progressed into litigation: the suit of NCTR contained a demand to annul the permission, issued to “A UP” company by the Republican Telecommunications Center. On December 2 the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan approved the reconciliation agreement between NCTR, the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Republican Telecommunications Center and “A UP” LLC. According to the agreement signed, the Ministry and the Republican Telecommunications Center, as one of its subdivisions, refused from claiming the 2300-27000 MHz diapason and annulled their previous resolutions on the broadcasting activities of “A UP”. The right to the diapason was stipulated to belong to NCTR that assumed a commitment of announcing a competition for it.
As noted above, the applicants and winners for these frequencies will be determined in spring. Yet, notably, the “supersystem” is being advertised on Armenian TV air, with particular intensity on New Year’s Eve. The viewers are informed how, even today, one can watch several dozens of channels.
