ArmInfo. 80% of the shares of Fedilco Group Limited, a Cyprus-registered company that owns Viva Armenia CJSC, one of the largest telecommunications companies, will be pledged to Ameriabank. The Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of the Republic of Armenia has approved the company's initiative.
By the PSRC's decision, Fedilco Group Limited will pledge 440,000 ordinary registered shares to Ameriabank as collateral. According to the terms of the transaction, the parties to the agreement must conclude within six months. Following the agreement, the company must notify the Regulator within two weeks, providing a copy of the document.
The Viva company (Viva Armenia CJSC) (initially known as VivaCell) received a license to operate in 2004. It began operations in 2005. In September 2007, after selling 80% of its shares, the company became a subsidiary of one of the largest telecommunications companies in the CIS, the Russian company Mobile TeleSystems (MTS). As a result of co-branding implemented in 2008, the company's logo was changed. VivaCell became VivaCell-MTS. During that year, the company also managed to gain a significant market share, exceeding 78%. In 2009, Viva launched a 3G network and by 2010 provided 3G coverage throughout Armenia. In 2009, the company launched a 4G network with a speed of 150 Mbps. Currently, the 4G network is available to approximately 99.4% of the population of Armenia. On April 6, 2023, Viva announced the launch of a 5G network in the center of Yerevan, followed by Gyumri. In August 2019, MTS PJSC acquired the remaining 20% of Viva shares. It has four network codes: 93, 94, 77, and 98. From 2005 to the present day, the company has paid more than 258 billion drams in taxes to the state. The company is the largest taxpayer in the telecommunications sector and is among the largest taxpayers in Armenia. The number of Viva subscribers in Armenia has exceeded 2 million people.[4]
In January 2024, Viva-MTS announced a change of ownership and left the Russian MTS Group. Fedilco Group Limited, a company owned by European and Asian investors, became the new shareholder of MTS Armenia CJSC. Fedilco Group Limited is a company registered in Cyprus, whose ultimate beneficiaries are Zhe Zhang and Konstantin Sokolov. Considering the strategic importance of MTS Armenia CJSC for Armenia, Fedilco Group Limited donated 20% of MTS Armenia shares to the Republic of Armenia.[6] On March 25, 2024, the name of MTS Armenia was changed to Viva Armenia CJSC.
Independent experts believe that the pledge of Viva Armenia JSC shares is related to the company's acquisition of another operator, GNC Alfa (brand OVIO, formerly Rostelecom Armenia). On June 2, the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) approved the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the internet provider GNC Alfa. A six-month deadline was set for the conclusion of the potential transaction, from the date the Commission's decision came into effect.
