Basics[]
Armenia has three mobile network operators:
- Viva-MTS (formerly Viva Cell MTS by MTS Armenia)
- Team (formerly Beeline, by Telecom Armenia)
- Ucom (formerly Orange)
2G/GSM is on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G/UMTS is on 2100 MHz (and 900 MHz on Ucom) like in the rest of Europe. 4G/LTE started in 2012 on the 2600 MHz (band 7) and Beeline 2016 on unusual 450 MHz (band 31) and UCOM on 800 (B20), 1800 (B3) and 2600 (B7) MHz. 5G hasn't started yet.
Coverage of all three providers is pretty good. You can get mobile phone service just about anywhere in the country these days, unless you are hiking in the backcountry. According to the local regulator 100% of settlements in Armenia are provided with 4G+/LTE Advanced coverage by at least one mobile operator,’ in 2020. The PSRC went on to note that Viva-MTS, which secured 800 MHz B20 frequencies to support its 4G+ rollout, now provides coverage in 99.9% of populated areas (1,002 towns/cities/villages) across the country, followed by Ucom with a figure of 88.2% (885 areas) and Beeline Armenia, whose population coverage figure is 55.5% (or more than 1.64 million Armenians).
SIM card registration is mandatory in Armenia. So you need to buy a SIM card in a store of the three operators showing your passport. Some supermarkets and kiosks sell them too, but the official stores are better as a tourist because of the SIM card registration requirement. You can also get them at Yerevan-Zwartnots International Airport (Զվարթնոց Միջազգային Oդանավակայան). You can get an Armenian SIM card for free in promotions or for AMD 100 from Viva-MTS, Team Armenina Telecom/Beeline, or Ucom. However, you always need to buy a plan or recharge at least AMD 1000 on the spot to get your SIM card. There are branches at the Jerevan international Airport and in all major towns. Top-ups are sold as vouchers all over the country.
In the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a breakaway independent, but internationally unrecognized state Karabakh Telecom is the only mobile provider. It has been now been moved to the Azerbaijan chapter as we have an article about this country now and this area is de jure internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. All Armenian providers will roam in Nagorno-Karabakh and the currency is AMD.
Viva-MTS (VivaCell MTS, by MTS Armenia)[]
new logo
Viva-MTS, previously called VivaCell MTS, owned by Russian MTS, is the market leader in the country with more than 60% of mobile customers on its network- In 2017 it changed the company name from VivaCell MTS to MTS Armenia, but brand name remains with the cell skipped in the meantime.
2G and 3G coverage is at 99.8% and 98.8% of the population, respectively; with 99% of Armenia’s populated ares served by its 4G/LTE signal in 2020. It has the best coverage and speeds in the county: 2G/3G/4G/Coverage map This comes at the most expensive prices, that are still quite low compared internationally.
At the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border crossing (the main route between Tbilisi and Yerevan): after Armenian immigration/customs on the right-side there's a VivaCell MTS office open 24/7 which will setup a SIM card/account in a few minutes. They seem very used to visitors who don't speak Armenian. Passport is necessary, they'll take a photocopy.
Availability[]
Their prepaid SIM is available for a minimal fee (AMD 100 : you have to pay AMD 1,000 and you get a SIM along with AMD 900 credit) in their stores: (Service Center Map). SIM card is mostly free when bought in combination with a package. They claim to issue eSIM for prepaid plans X, Y and Z too, but you need to go to a service center for this.
To manage your SIM you can download their my Viva-MTS app or use USSD codes: switch language to English by *129*1#. To top-up by codes use *123*<voucher PIN>#. Have in mind that their vouchers only last for a short period: AMD 500 for 12 days, AMD 1000 for 20 days or AMD 2000 for 48 days. You can also top-up online here using a credit or debit card. Validity depends on amount, check here. To check balance dial *122#.
Combo packages[]
Viva is their featured combo plan with on-net minutes, domestic mins, SMS and data for 30 days:
| Price | Data | on-net calls | dom. calls | dom. SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD 2500 | 4 GB | 2500 mins | 50 mins | 250 | *161*2500# |
| AMD 3500 | 6 GB | 3500 mins | 100 mins | 250 | *161*3500# |
| AMD 5500 | 10 GB | 5500 mins | 200 mins | 250 | *161*5500# |
| AMD 7500 | 20 GB | 7500 mins | 350 mins | 350 | *161*7500# |
| AMD 9500 | 38 GB | 9500 mins | 450 mins | 450 | *161*9500# |
Overuse fee is AMD 150 for 500 MB. Packages auto-renew. On-net calls are to MTS Russia too. To activate, enter *404*1#. To stop, enter *161*0#, to check balances *160# and to renew ahead of time *161*4#.
On eSIM too they have released the X, Y and Z plans for 30 days:
- X: 10 GB data, unlimited on-net calls, 1500 domestic minutes, 500 domestic SMS, free YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, ClubHouse, Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Twitter, Zoom, Skype, Zangi, Netflix, Snapchat, IMUSIC, IVI: AMD 5000, activation: *208*5000#
- Y: 5 GB data, unlimited on-net calls, 400 domestic minutes, 300 domestic SMS, free TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, ClubHouse, Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Twitter, Zoom, Skype, Zangi, Snapchat, IMUSIC, IVI : AMD 2800, activation: *208*2800#
- Z: 3 GB, unlimited on-net calls, 200 domestic minutes, 200 domestic SMS, free Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Twitter, Zoom, Skype, Zangi, IMUSI: AMD 1800, activation: *208*1800#
Data feature packs[]
You can add more data for 30 days to the plans X, Y, Z and Viva plans specifed above:
- unlimited internet: *406*1# for AMD 3000
- 10 GB: *882*2 for AMD 1000
- 3 GB: *881*2 for AMD 500
Check data balance by *888#. You can convert on-net minutes to MBs at a rate of 1 on-net minute = 3 MB. The conversion fee is AMD 200. To exchange dial *878*minutes# or use My Viva-MTS” app.
For daily data boosts BIT data packages allow internet access for one day one-off and can be activated on all lines:
- BIT: 200 MB for 24 hours, AMD 100 , activation: *777*1#
- SuperBIT: 500 MB for 24 hours, AMD 150 , activation: *778*1#
The service status can be checked by sending *777# or *778#.
More information[]
- APN: inet.vivacell.am
- Website in English: http://www.mts.am/en/individual-customers
Team. Telecom Armenia (formerly: Beeline)[]
new brand
Beeline by Veon Armenia used to be the 2nd operator in the country. In 2020 VEON announced that it has struck an agreement to sell its fixed and mobile business VEON Armenia (trading as Beeline) to Team LLC (Team.Telecom Armenia) – the business created by brothers Hayk and Aleksandr Yesayan when they jumped ship from rival operator Ucom in April 2020. In 2022 Telecom Armenia announced that on 1 May it's replacing the Beeline trademark with the new Team Telecom Armenia brand.
Team./Beeline has a good coverage in 2G (2G zone) and 3G (3G zone). In 2016, it started 4G/LTE in Yerevan only so far on the unusual frequency of 450 MHz (on band 31). This was added by B3 (1800 MHz), but remained somewhat lower than its competitors: coverage map.
Availability[]
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old logo
They have a variety of different prepaid SIM cards available in their stores (locator). You can get a SIM card for free if purchased with a plan or for AMD 100 with a minimum top-up of AMD 1000 (AMD 900 in credit) in Beeline stores. It's also possible to get SIM cards at Yerevan-Zvartnots International Airport or you can order a SIM online and pick it up at the nearest store. For visitors the "Welcome" SIM is sold for AMD 500 including AMD 400 credit. It has a default data rate of AMD 50per MB.
You may dial *444# to enable 4G/LTE and *525# to see your Beeline phone number. Beeline SIM cards get deactivated if there has been no activity for 90 days (= no top-up for 90 days or no activity for 90 days).
Beeline top-up vouchers are sold in Beeline stores and many other establishments, such as kiosks, gas stations, and grocery stores. Check balance by *102#. The following top-up options are available AMD 1000, 2500, 5000, 10 000 and 20 000. Beeline recharges have unlimited validity, as long as you perform an action (use data, make a call, or send a text) once every 90 days. To top up your Beeline SIM card, dial *101*<voucher code>#. To manage your SIM, you can download the My Beeline Armenia app.
Combo feature packs[]
They currently offer three different combo plan lines :
- BeeFree Unlimit with unlimited data for 30 days:
- unlimited data and 1500 domestic minutes: AMD 4900
- unlimited data and 3000 domestic minutes: AMD 7900
- BeeFree with data, minutes and SMS plus zero-rated apps for 30 days:
| Price | Data | Dom. voice | SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD 1900 | 5 GB | 200 mins | 200 | *701# |
| AMD 2900 | 10 GB | 450 mins | 300 | *702# |
- Smart combo packs for 30 days, where unused volume can be rolled over to the next month:
| Price | Data | On-net calls | Local calls | SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD 1500 | 3 GB | 10000 mins | N/A | 150 | *505# |
| AMD 2500 | 5 GB | 10000 mins | 50 mins | 150 | *605# |
| AMD 3500 | 7 GB | 10000 mins | 150 mins | 250 | *705# |
| AMD 5500 | 12 GB | 10000 mins | 250 mins | 500 | *805# |
| AMD 7500 | 22 GB | 10000 mins | 350 mins | 1000 | *905# |
| AMD 9500 | 40 GB | 10000 mins | 500 mins | 1000 | *406# |
| AMD 12000 | 50 GB | 10000 mins | 600 mins | 1000 | *506# |
| AMD 15000 | 60 GB | 10000 mins | 700 mins | 1000 | *606# |
Data feature packs[]
As internet add-ons to the plans above daily Mega or monthly Giga packs are offered:
| Data | Time | Price | Activation | Deactivation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 MB | 24 hours | AMD 100 | *1150# | *1151# |
| 1 GB | AMD 150 | *1500# | *1501# | |
| 3 GB | 7 days | AMD 500 | *4100# | one-off |
| 2 GB | 30 days | AMD 700 | *1101# | *1001# |
| 3 GB | AMD 1000 | *1102# | *1002# | |
| 6 GB | AMD 2000 | *1105# | *1005# | |
| 10 GB | AMD 3500 | *1106# | *1006# | |
| 15 GB | AMD 5000 | *1115# | *1015# |
To check your data balance, dial *103#, all packages auto-renew, if not stopped.
To return to a pay per use plan with no monthly fee, you can opt to move to the Convenient+ Tariff (it is not possible to return to the Welcome plan) with a default rate of AMD 29 per MB. To activate use *110*08056#. Switching to this tariff costs
Data Roaming packages[]
Telecom Armenia offers roaming packages for use in European countries valid for 15 days:
- 300 MB for AMD 500 in Russia only and for 3 days, activate with *515#
- 500 MB for AMD 2625, activate with *400#
- 1000 MB for AMD 4500, activate with *401#
- 3000 MB for AMD 9000, activate with *415#
More info[]
- APN: internet
- Telecom Armenia website in English: https://www.telecomarmenia.am/en
Ucom[]
Ucom for Universal Communications, officially Յուքոմ, is the smallest operator in the country, but has grown a lot in the last years through a good network (coverage map) at the lowest prices. In 2016 they were acquired by the broadband operator Ucom which has rebranded its network from the former Orange label.
Their 4G/LTE has been launched in 2017 on 800 (B20), 1800 (B3) and 2600 (B7) MHz. 3G is available on 90% and 4G on 99% of population in 2022.
Availability[]
Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased at any Ucom service center (locator), all post offices in Yerevan City supermarkets and Carrefour, Zigzag Megastore (Dalma Garden Mall) and others. For activation insert the SIM into your phone, call to 111 short number, follow the voice menu instructions and select your preferred language. After performing these steps your number will be activated and you will be connected to the number that you are calling. Ucom also offers eSIM for free. You can get a Ucom physical SIM card for free if purchased with a plan or for AMD 100with a minimum top-up of AMD 1000 (AMD 1000in credit).
Starting up you will have the number activated for 3 months for access to all the services of Ucom. In case of not recharging the account during that time, you will also receive calls and SMS for another 6 months (inactive period). Top-ups of AMD 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 give you 30 days to 6 months of service according to the amount sold in service points and supermarkets. To top up your Ucom SIM card, dial *144*<voucher PIN>#, check balance by *133# or use the Ucom app.
Voice and data SIM[]
They offer two prepaid lines U!SIMPLE and their combo plans U!Prepaid:
- U!Simple: this plan without base rate can be activated by *111*11#. Data are at AMD 15 per MB.
- Level Up: monthly combo plan in four sizes:
| Plan | Data | SMS | dom. Voice | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1700 | 6 GB | 200 | 200 mins | AMD 1700 | *451# |
| 2700 | 9 GB | 300 | 450 mins | AMD 2700 | *452# |
| 4700 | unlimited | 500 | 1500 mins | AMD 4700 | *453# |
| 8700 | unlimited | 1000 | 6000 min | AMD 8700 | *454# |
Data outside of allowances are at AMD 15 per MB. Unlimted = if during the 30 days of validity you have exceeded the 200 GB threshold, the maximum available speed will be set at 512 kbps.
Data feature packs[]
On top of every prepaid plan, the following data packages can be loaded. After consuming the data allowance, you will fall back on the data tariff according to the prepaid plan. To check remaining data balance *205*20#.
| Data | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 MB | 1 day | AMD 100 | *200*1# |
| 1 GB | 30 days | AMD 500 | *200*2# |
| 2 GB | 30 days | AMD 700 | *200*3# |
| 3 GB | 30 days | AMD 1200 | *200*4# |
| 10 GB | 30 days | AMD 3500 | *200*5# |
| 20 GB | 30 days | AMD 6500 | *200*6# |
Check data balance and validity by *200*20#.
Data-only SIM[]
They also offer to data-only plan called UDrift and UDaily. They only contain data and SMS, no voice:
- uDrift for 30 days:
- 10 GB: AMD 2900, activation: *111*4#
- 30 GB: AMD 4900, activation: *111*5#
- uDaily with a daily fee of AMD 250 including 1 GB per day until midnight, that can be added by these packs:
- 1 GB for 7 days: AMD 1000
- 4 GB for 15 days: AMD 2000
- 8 GB for 30 days: AMD 3000
For overuse, speed will be throttled to 64 kbps.
More information[]
- APN: internet
- Website in English: http://www.ucom.am/en