
News Analysis
Jio, Vodafone Idea, Airtel pay govt over Rs 4500 crore in
spectrum dues
Private telecom operators Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel have paid
the Telecom Department over Rs 4,500 crore in spectrum dues in the last three to
four days, according to sources. Sources said that the payments came in before
the due date. The sparring telcos — some of which are reeling under acute
financial stress and are seeking immediate relief measures — have made the
payment towards deferred spectrum liability (or instalment payment for radiowaves
bought in past auctions) which fell due on October 21. While Mukesh Ambani-
led Reliance Jio has paid Rs 1,133 crore to the Department of Telecom, Vodafone
Idea has made Rs 2,421 crore payment towards spectrum dues. Sunil
Mittal's Bharti Airtel has paid Rs 977 crore. Taken together, these three players
have paid over Rs 4,531 crore towards spectrum dues late last week.
Emails sent to Reliance Jio and Airtel went unanswered, while a Vodafone
Idea spokesperson said that the company does not comment on matters that are
business as usual. The government, in March last year, enhanced the number of
annual instalments for spectrum payment from 10 to 16 years to provide a
breather to the debt-laden telecom sector. But with the industry reeling under
financial stress, Vodafone Group Chairman Gerard Kleisterlee and CEO Nick
Read recently met Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash, as the company sought a
two-year moratorium on deferred spectrum payments, and other relief measures
from the government. The telecom sector has been battered by falling tariffs,
eroding profitability and mounting debt in the face of stiff competition triggered by
disruptive offerings of Reliance Jio. The industry has been seeking urgent relief
such as cut in levies like licence fee and spectrum charges, and release of GST
input tax credit locked up with the government.
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Jio, Vodafone Idea, Airtel pay govt over Rs 4500 crore in spectrum dues
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