Armenia’s internet resilience, digital policy, broadband accessibility and the opportunities and challenges of technological advancement were the key topics discussed at ArmIGF 2025, the 10th Armenian Internet Governance Forum, held in Yerevan on November 6.
The forum was organized by the Interdepartmental Group on the Armenian Internet Governance Forum, in cooperation with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, the Internet Society NGO, and the Internet Society Armenia Chapter PO, with support from international partners including ICANN, RIPE NCC, IGFSA, and others.
In his opening remarks, Hakob Arshakyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia and Chair of the Executive Committee of the Science and Technology Development Council under the Prime Minister, highlighted the pivotal role of the Internet and emerging technologies in shaping the future:
“The sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of countries will increasingly depend on how effectively they can harness new technologies – particularly artificial intelligence, robotics and aerospace innovations – for their development and the benefit of their societies, as well as on how accessible education is and how people make use of it.”
Marking its 10th anniversary, ArmIGF 2025 served as an open and inclusive multistakeholder platform, bringing together representatives from the public and private sectors, the technical and academic communities, civil society and international organizations.
Albert Tonoyan, Board Vice-Chair of the Internet Society NGO, emphasized the importance of national digital autonomy:
“As the manager of .am and .հայ domains and one of the pioneers who helped bring the Internet to Armenia, we remain dedicated to its development and expansion. The Internet is an indispensable resource for education and economic growth – essential to a nation’s security and future. Therefore, to strengthen resilience and security, Armenia must prioritize the creation of its own alternative Internet cable, connecting either toward Europe or Asia.”
He further noted that reducing dependency on external connectivity also requires the development of Internet exchange points (IXPs) and expanding broadband access to Armenia’s most remote communities.
Armen Avetisyan, Viva General Director, presented the company’s strategy for ensuring robust and reliable connectivity:
“Viva’s network strategy is based on redundancy, technological diversity and continuous innovation. We have built a highly diversified optical backbone connecting our European Points of Presence (PoPs) through fully independent terrestrial and submarine routes, forming a resilient global loop. Our hybrid architecture – integrating terrestrial networks, cloud platforms, and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) – is preparing for the next stage: the introduction of satellite connectivity to ensure maximum accessibility of critical infrastructure. Our ultimate goal is to guarantee digital sovereignty and uninterrupted connectivity for Armenia, under any circumstances.”
Throughout ArmIGF 2025, Armenia’s Internet community and technology professionals also addressed key issues, including digital governance, infrastructure development, content regulation, cybersecurity and the balance between user rights and safety.
