Launching .am domain name – Armenia’s digital address on the internet – required specific conditions. Thirty-one years ago, the responsibility for establishing those conditions was taken on by the Internet Society NGO. By bringing together professional expertise, Internet Society has continued to this day to foster the development of the field and broaden internet accessibility across Armenia.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the organization’s founders reflected on key milestones in a commemorative film and magazine titled “Our Space on the Internet.”
The following is an excerpt from a personal reflection by board member and director Andranik Aleksanyan:
“How did it all begin? At the heart of it were people – a group of passionate pioneers: Igor Mkrtumyan, Albert Toneian. They knew far more about the internet than I did. To be honest, at that time, very few people really understood what the internet was – including me. I was just a diligent executor.
When I brought up these issues with Minister of Communications Robert Avoyan, he asked, ‘When the internet arrives, what will the postmen do? And how exactly does the state benefit from it?’ Most people didn’t have an answer.
After the earthquake, a station had been established. I told them, ‘Use that for now – let’s see how life changes.’
I was negotiating internet pricing with foreign partners without fully understanding what traffic even was or what the right price should be. There were things we had never learned, had never heard of, and simply didn’t know. But fortunately, there were others-far more knowledgeable – who understood the potential, saw the future and played a vital role.
One of our biggest initial challenges was electricity. These were extremely difficult years. First, we needed a location with a reliable power supply. The ArmenTel building had electricity 24/7. Despite major obstacles, they gave us space there.
Eventually, we established an internet connection. It was nothing like what we know today, but it worked and for many scientists, it became a crucial link to the outside world. They would come to send and receive emails. The building’s security guards already knew these people were scientists needing to correspond with research centers around the globe. It truly was a turning point.”
“The story of how the internet came to Armenia, along with the organization’s ongoing work, is also featured in the publication ‘Internet Society NGO Celebrates Its 31st Anniversary.’”
