Former monopoly ArmenTel and alternative telco Fibernet face fresh competition in the Armenian fixed line internet access market in the shape of Armenian Datacom Company (ADC). The newcomer launched on 27 April and promises to deliver faster, cheaper services in the near future. ADC, an Armenian-Norwegian closed joint venture founded in 2006, has set up a USD3.4 million fibre-optic network in the capital Yerevan, initially targeting business users. It has access to its own satellite, bypassing the need to use ArmenTel’s limited capacity satellite which is used by other companies providing internet services in the country. ADC plans to invest a further USD1.5 million in the short term to improve services and is already promising cost savings for users: ‘Unlike our competitors’, our network will provide internet access and data transmission services at prices that will be lower by 25%,’ a spokesman said.