The traffic transit agreement signed between Team Telecom Armenia and AzerTelecom has sparked public discussion, but it also offers several potential advantages for Armenia. This view was expressed by media expert Samvel Martirosyan while commenting on the arrangement between the two companies.
According to him, it is important to understand that the agreement is fundamentally a commercial partnership.
As stated in the official announcement, the deal concerns the sale and transit of internet traffic and is based on commercial considerations.
Azerbaijan May Become More Dependent on Armenia
Martirosyan believes that the project could, in some respects, make Azerbaijan more dependent on Armenia.
In particular, this relates to communication links serving Nakhichevan and connections toward the Middle East.
According to available information, two fiber-optic cables will pass through the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
This represents a new reality for the region, as practical transit cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan has previously been limited largely to railway infrastructure.
The New Route Is Primarily Important for Azerbaijan
The expert notes that Armenia already has a degree of dependence on Azerbaijan in the transportation sector because some Russian goods reach Armenia through routes connected to Azerbaijani territory.
This issue becomes especially sensitive whenever disruptions occur at the Upper Lars checkpoint or when fuel supply concerns arise.
However, Martirosyan argues that the internet traffic project presents a different situation.
In his view, Azerbaijan has a stronger interest in establishing this new transit route.
Although both sides are developing interconnected infrastructure, the corridor is primarily needed by the Azerbaijani side.
Armenia Already Functions as a Transit Hub
Martirosyan recalls previous statements by Team Telecom Armenia indicating that only around 10–15 percent of the traffic carried by the company’s network is domestic Armenian traffic.
According to him, this demonstrates that the company already serves as an important regional transit operator.
At present, Armenia facilitates significant north-south data flows that are also used by countries in the Middle East.
Armenia Could Gain a Role in East-West Connectivity
The expert believes the new agreement could also integrate Armenia into an east-west transit corridor.
Such a development would expand the country’s importance within international telecommunications infrastructure and strengthen its role as a regional data transit hub.
Martirosyan emphasizes that the implications extend beyond Azerbaijan.
In the future, traffic originating from Kazakhstan could also pass through Armenia, further increasing the country’s strategic significance in regional communications networks.
A More Resilient Infrastructure Network
The expert also highlights the importance of infrastructure resilience.
For many years, Armenia has been heavily dependent on communication lines passing through Georgia.
Periodic cable damage and technical incidents there have occasionally disrupted connectivity.
The existence of an additional route would create a backup channel for data transmission and reduce the consequences of such disruptions.
According to Martirosyan, this may ultimately become one of the most important long-term benefits of the agreement.
There are serious risks
Meanwhile, another media expert, Ruben Muradyan, is less optimistic. “Team Telecom and AzerTelecom will mutually use communication channels for internet access. Within the framework of this cooperation, traffic from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan will pass through Team Telecom’s infrastructure. The agreement on the mutual use of internet transit means that Armenian traffic could also pass through AzerTelecom’s infra,” he reminded.
According to the expert’s assessment, this carries a number of risks: “Traffic passing through AzerTelecom’s infra can be analyzed. The content of communications will most likely not be accessible: practically all communications today are TLS-encrypted. There is a slight probability of MITM attacks, but it is low. Instead, AzerTelecom will gain the ability to run Armenian traffic through DPI—and this will allow them to profile and analyze the behavior of Armenian users. To reiterate: not in the context of accessing the transmitted data itself, but in the context of accessing connection metadata.”
It is necessary to consider using a VPN on a permanent basis
According to him, individuals and organizations using static IP addresses are in the highest risk category. Their IP addresses are quite easy to link to specific users and deanonymize. Furthermore, AzerTelecom will gain more opportunities for BGP route poisoning, redirecting traffic of interest to them through their own networks.
“At the moment, these risks apply to Team Telecom users. But I wouldn’t count too much on complete security. People of interest—politicians, journalists, NGO employees, and staff of key companies—should consider using a VPN on a permanent basis across all their devices,” the expert believes.