Voda Idea pays Rs 1,367 cr to govt towards licence, spectrum charges

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea has submitted about Rs 1,367 crore to the government as licence fee and spectrum usage charges (SUC) for the March quarter, PTI reported.

Officials said that the telecom department has received the payment made by Vodafone Idea, and added that other operators had made their payments earlier. When contacted, Vodafone Idea spokesperson declined to comment on the latest payment.

The payment comes aid report that the telecom sector will not be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, past dues of Rs 90,000 crore continue to create uncertainty for the sector in these times.

The telcos still owes Rs 90,000 crore in the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, and there is a lack of clarity on how the money needs to be paid – whether staggered or at a go, domestic rating agency Icra said.