Telcos expect govt to take immediate steps to resolve industry woes, AGR definition: COAI

Telecom service providers expect the government to take immediate steps to resolve the issues of the sector which has played the role of an enabler for other key industry verticals and supported 30-35 per cent of GDP during the COVID-19 crisis, industry body COAI said.

COAI Director General Lt Gen SP Kochhar told PTI that the telecom sector needs to make huge investment in infrastructure and needs regulatory support, review of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) definition, GST exemption on AGR dues, promises made in National Digital Communications Policy 2018 for ease of doing business etc.

“Telecom is not a vertical industry in itself; rather it is an enabler of horizontal growth across industries, be it manufacturing, e-commerce, healthcare, education, and so on.