There are three mobile operators in Armenia:
- Viva-MTS (formerly Viva Cell MTS from MTS Armenia)
- Team (formerly Beeline, from Telecom Armenia)
- Ucom (formerly Orange)
2G/GSM operates on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G/UMTS on 2100 MHz (and 900 MHz on Ucom), as in the rest of Europe. 4G/LTE started in 2012 on 2600 MHz (band 7), and Beeline in 2016 on the unusual 450 MHz (band 31), and UCOM on 800 (B20), 1800 (B3) and 2600 (B7) MHz. 5G has not yet been launched.
The coverage of all three providers is quite good. Today, you can use mobile services almost anywhere in the country, unless you are traveling off-road. According to the local regulator, in 2020, 100% of settlements in Armenia are covered by 4G+/LTE Advanced by at least one mobile operator. PSRC also noted that Viva-MTS, which secured the B20 800 MHz frequencies to support the deployment of 4G+, now provides coverage in 99.9% of settlements (1,002 cities/villages) across the country, followed by Ucom with 88.2% (885 districts) and Beeline Armenia, which has a population coverage of 55.5% (or over 1.64 million Armenians).
SIM card registration is mandatory in Armenia. Therefore, you need to buy a SIM card at a store of the three operators, presenting your passport. Some supermarkets and kiosks also sell them, but official stores are better for tourists due to the SIM card registration requirement. You can also get them at Yerevan-Zvartnots International Airport (Звартноц Энтрант Оданавакаян). You can get an Armenian SIM card for free with promotions or for 100 drams from Viva-MTS, Team Armenina Telecom/Beeline or Ucom. However, you always need to buy a tariff plan or top up your account with at least 1000 drams on site to get your SIM card. There are branches at Yerevan International Airport and in all major cities. Top-ups are sold in the form of vouchers throughout the country.
Viva-MTS (VivaCell MTS, from MTS Armenia)
Viva-MTS, formerly known as VivaCell MTS, is owned by Russia’s MTS and is the market leader in the country, with over 60% of mobile customers on its network. In 2017, the company changed its name from VivaCell MTS to MTS Armenia, but the brand remains, while cellular services have been discontinued.
2G and 3G coverage is 99.8% and 98.8% of the population respectively; in 2020, 99% of settlements in Armenia were served by 4G/LTE signal. This is the best coverage and speed in the country: 2G/3G/4G coverage map. This is available at the highest prices, which are still quite low compared to international ones.
At the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border crossing (main road between Tbilisi and Yerevan): after Armenian immigration/customs control, there is a VivaCell MTS office on the right, open 24/7, and will set up a SIM card/account in a few minutes. They seem to be very used to visitors who don’t speak Armenian. You need a passport, they will make a photocopy.
Availability
Their prepaid SIM card can be purchased for a minimal fee (100 AMD: you need to pay 1000 AMD and you will receive the SIM card along with 900 AMD credit) at their stores: ( Service Center Map ). The SIM card is mostly free when purchased in combination with a service package. They claim to issue eSIMs also for prepaid tariffs X, Y and Z, but you need to contact a service center for that.
To manage your SIM card, you can download the my Viva-MTS app or use USSD codes: switch the language to English with *129*1#. To top up using codes, use *123*<Voucher PIN>#. Keep in mind that their vouchers are only valid 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. The validity period depends on the amount, check here . To check your balance, dial *122#.
Combo packages
Viva is their recommended combo plan with on-net minutes, domestic minutes, SMS, and data for 30 days:
| Price | Data | calls within the network | home calls | SMS Cathedral | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2500 drams | 4 GB | 2500 min | 50 min | 250 | *161*2500# |
| 3500 AMD | 6 GB | 3500 min. | 100 min | 250 | *161*3500# |
| AMD 5500 | 10 GB | 5500 min | 200 min | 250 | *161*5500# |
| AMD 7500 | 20 GB | 7500 min | 350 min. | 350 | *161*7500# |
| AMD 9500 | 38 GB | 9500 min | 450 min. | 450 | *161*9500# |
The fee for overage is 150 AMD per 500 MB. Packages are automatically renewed. Calls within the network are also made to MTS Russia numbers. To activate, enter *404*1#. To stop, enter *161*0#, to check the balance *160#, and for early renewal *161*4#.
Regarding eSIM, they also released plans X, Y, and Z for 30 days:
- X : 10 GB data, unlimited calls within the network, 1500 minutes within the country, 500 SMS within the country, 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 of data, unlimited calls within the network, 400 minutes within the country, 300 SMS within the country, free TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, ClubHouse, Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Twitter, Zoom, Zangi, Snapchat, IMUSIC, IVI: AMD 2800, activation: *208*2800#
- Z : 3 GB, unlimited calls within the network, 200 minutes within the country, 200 SMS within the country, free Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Twitter, Zoom, Skype, Zangi, IMUSI: AMD 1800, activation: *208*1800#
Data transfer feature packages
You can add more data for 30 days to the X, Y, Z and Viva plans listed above:
- unlimited internet: *406*1# for 3000 drams
- 10GB: *882*2 for AMD 1000
- 3GB: *881*2 for AMD 500
Check your data balance by dialing *888#. You can convert minutes within the network into megabytes according to the scheme 1 minute within the network = 3 MB. The conversion fee is 200 AMD. To convert, dial *878*minutes# or use the My Viva-MTS application.
For daily data volume increases, BIT data packages allow one-time Internet access for one day 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#
You can check the status of the service 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)
Beeline by Veon Armenia was previously the second largest operator in the country. In 2020, VEON announced an agreement to sell its fixed and mobile communications business VEON Armenia (Beeline brand) to Team LLC (Team.Telecom Armenia), a business created by brothers Aik and Alexander Yesayan when they exited rival operator Ucom in April 2020. In 2022, Telecom Armenia announced that it would replace the Beeline brand with a new brand, Team Telecom Armenia, on May 1.
Team/Beeline has good coverage in 2G ( 2G zone ) and 3G ( 3G zone ). In 2016, the company launched 4G/LTE in Yerevan so far only on the unusual frequency of 450 MHz (on band 31). It was added by B3 (1800 MHz), but it remained somewhat lower than that of competitors: coverage map .
Availability
A wide range of different prepaid SIM cards ( locators ) are available in their stores. You can get a SIM card for free if you purchase it as part of a tariff plan, or for 100 AMD with a minimum top-up of 1000 AMD (900 AMD credit) in Beeline stores. You can also buy SIM cards at Yerevan-Zvartnots International Airport or order a SIM card online and pick it up at the nearest store. For visitors, the “Welcome” SIM card is sold for 500 AMD, including 400 AMD credit. The standard data transfer speed is 50 AMD per MB.
You can dial *444# to enable 4G/LTE and *525# to see your Beeline phone number. Beeline SIM cards are 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 at Beeline stores and many other establishments, such as kiosks, gas stations, and grocery stores. Check your balance by dialing *102#. The following top-up options are available: 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 AMD. Beeline top-ups are valid indefinitely if you perform an action (use data, make a call, or send a text message) once every 90 days. To top-up your Beeline SIM card, dial *101*<voucher code>#. To manage your SIM card, you can download the My Beeline Armenia app.
Combined feature packages
They currently offer three different lines of combo plans:
- BeeFree Unlimit with unlimited traffic for 30 days:
- unlimited data and 1500 minutes for internal calls: 4900 AMD
- unlimited data and 3000 minutes for domestic calls: 7900 AMD
- BeeFree with data, minutes and SMS, as well as apps at zero rate for 30 days:
| Price | Data | Home. Voice. | SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 AMD | 5 GB | 200 min | 200 | *701# |
| AMD 2900 | 10 GB | 450 min. | 300 | *702# |
- Smart combo packages for 30 days, where unused volume can be carried over to the next month:
| Price | Data | Calls within the network | Local calls | SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 drams | 3 GB | 10000 min | No data | 150 | *505# |
| 2500 drams | 5 GB | 10000 min | 50 min | 150 | *605# |
| 3500 AMD | 7 GB | 10000 min | 150 min | 250 | *705# |
| AMD 5500 | 12 GB | 10000 min | 250 min. | 500 | *805# |
| AMD 7500 | 22 GB | 10000 min | 350 min. | 1000 | *905# |
| AMD 9500 | 40 GB | 10000 min | 500 min. | 1000 | *406# |
| 12,000 drams | 50 GB | 10000 min | 600 min. | 1000 | *506# |
| 15,000 drams | 60 GB | 10000 min | 700 min. | 1000 | *606# |
Data transfer feature packages
Daily Mega packages or monthly Giga packages are offered as Internet add-ons to the above tariffs :
| Data | Time | Price | Activation | Deactivation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 MB | 24 years old | 100 drams | *1150# | *1151# |
| 1 GB | 150 drams | *1500# | *1501# | |
| 3 GB | 7 days | 500 drams | *4100# | disposable |
| 2 GB | 30 days | 700 AMD | *1101# | *1001# |
| 3 GB | 1000 drams | *1102# | *1002# | |
| 6 GB | AMD 2000 | *1105# | *1005# | |
| 10 GB | 3500 AMD | *1106# | *1006# | |
| 15 GB | 5000 drams | *1115# | *1015# |
To check your data balance, dial *103#, all packages automatically renew unless stopped.
To return to a pay-as-you-go tariff plan without a monthly fee, you can switch to the “Convenient+” tariff (return to the “Hello” plan is not possible) with a standard price of 29 AMD per MB. To activate, use the combination *110*08056#. Switching to this tariff costs
Data packages when roaming
Telecom Armenia offers roaming packages for use in European countries, valid for 15 days:
- 300 MB for AMD 500 only in Russia and for 3 days, activate using *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 information
- APN: internet
- Telecom Armenia website in English: https://www.telecomarmenia.am/en
Ucom
Ucom, for Universal Communications, officially Ucom, is the smallest operator in the country, but has grown significantly in recent years thanks to a good network ( coverage map) at the lowest prices. In 2016, they were acquired by broadband operator Ucom, which rebranded its network from the former Orange label.
Their 4G/LTE was launched in 2017 on 800 (B20), 1800 (B3) and 2600 (B7) MHz. 3G is available to 90% and 4G to 99% of the population by 2022.
Availability
Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased at any Ucom service center ( locator ), at all post offices in supermarkets in Yerevan, as well as at Carrefour, Zigzag Megastore (Dalma Garden Mall) and others. To activate, insert the SIM card into your phone, call the short number 111, follow the voice menu instructions and select the desired language. After completing these steps, your number will be activated and you will be connected to the number you are calling. Ucom also offers a free eSIM. You can get a physical Ucom SIM card for free if you purchase it with a tariff plan or for 100 AMD with a minimum top-up of 1000 AMD (1000 AMD on credit).
After starting to use your number, it will be activated for 3 months to access all Ucom services. If you do not top up your account during this time, you will also receive calls and SMS for another 6 months (inactive period). Top-ups of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 AMD give you from 30 days to 6 months of service depending on the amount sold at service points and supermarkets. To top up your Ucom SIM card, dial *144*<Voucher PIN>#, check your balance with *133# or use the Ucom app.
SIM card for voice and data
They offer two U!SIMPLE prepaid lines and their U!Prepaid combo plans:
- U!Simple : This tariff plan without a base rate can be activated by dialing *111*11#. The data cost is 15 AMD per MB.
- Level Up : Monthly Combo Plan in Four Sizes:
| Plan | Data | SMS | voice | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1700 | 6 GB | 200 | 200 min | 1700 drams | *451# |
| 2700 | 9 GB | 300 | 450 min. | AMD 2700 | *452# |
| 4700 | unlimited | 500 | 1500 min | AMD 4700 | *453# |
| 8700 | unlimited | 1000 | 6000 min | AMD 8700 | *454# |
The cost of data beyond the limits is 15 AMD per megabyte. Unlimited = if you exceed the 200 GB threshold within 30 days of the package, the maximum available speed will be set to 512 kbps.
Data transfer feature packages
In addition to each prepaid plan, you can download the following data packages. Once you use up your data limit, you will revert to the data rate according to your prepaid plan. To check your data balance, dial *205*20#.
| Data | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 MB | 1 day | 100 drams | *200*1# |
| 1 GB | 30 days | 500 drams | *200*2# |
| 2 GB | 30 days | 700 AMD | *200*3# |
| 3 GB | 30 days | 1200 drams | *200*4# |
| 10 GB | 30 days | 3500 AMD | *200*5# |
| 20 GB | 30 days | AMD 6500 | *200*6# |
Check your data balance and expiration date using *200*20#.
Data-only SIM card
They also offer data-only plans called UDrift and UDaily. They only include 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 250 AMD including 1 GB per day until midnight, which can be added with these packages:
- 1 GB for 7 days: AMD 1000
- 4 GB for 15 days: AMD 2000
- 8 GB for 30 days: AMD 3000
For excessive usage, the speed will be limited to 64 kbps.
More information
- APN: internet
- Website in English: http://www.ucom.am/en