Vodafone is one of the world’s largest global mobile providers. Since 2008, Vodafone has partnered with Russia’s MTS,[1] considerably upgrading its technological and market capabilities and allowing it to expand deeper into the markets of half a dozen former Soviet states.[2] In Armenia, MTS-Vodafone operates through VivaCell-MTS, which supports the improvement of services between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh by greatly lowering roaming tariffs.[3] VivaCell-MTS also supports philanthropic causes directed at unifying Armenia and Artsakhthrough festivals,[4] nationalistic fundraisers,[5] and other projects.[6]
[1] Vodafone, “Who We Are,” http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/about/where.html; Vodafone, “Vodafone and MTS Sign Strategic Partnership,” November 30, 2008, http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/media/vodafone-group-releases/2008/vodafone_and_mts_sign.html.
[2] Richard Wray, “Vodafone Finds a Partner in Russia’s Biggest Operator,” Guardian, October 30, 2008,
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/oct/30/vodafonegroup-telecoms.
[3] Panarmenian Net, “VivaCell Lowers Roaming Tariffs for Artsakh,” October 1, 2012, http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/125301/; “VivaCell-MTS Unveils AMD 5 Roaming Tariff for Artsakh Calls,” http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/209532/.
[4] VivaCell-MTS, “VivaCell-MTS Is a Sponsor and Participant of the Save the Nature Environmental Campaign,” accessed January 2017, archived, http://mts.am/en/company/news/detail/2008/09/17/vivacellmts-is-the-sponsor-and-participant-of-the-save-the-nature-environmental-campaign.
[5] VivaCell-MTS, “VivaCell-MTS Supports Hayastan-All Armenian Fund Annual Telethon,” accessed January 2017, archived, http://mts.am/en/individual-customers/news/detail/2009/10/01/vivacellmts-supports-hayastan-allarmenian-fund-annual-telethon; Alin Gregorian, “Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Telethon Raises $15.8 Million,” Armenian Mirror-Spectator, December 3, 2009,
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2009/12/03/hayastan-all-armenian-fund-telethon-raises-15-8-million/.
[6] Tert, “Nagorno-Karabakh President, VivaCell General Manager Discuss Projects,” April 9, 2016, http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/04/09/bako-ralf/1987039.
