Telcos won’t get 20 years to pay AGR dues if licences expire

Mumbai: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will not allow operators to use the full 20-year period to pay their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues in circles where the licenses expire, if the Supreme Court accepts the staggered payment proposal of the government, a person familiar with the matter said.

The person added that the government will insist that unless the license is renewed, the telco will have to pay its statutory dues for the circle in which its license for spectrum is expiring, by the expiry date.

“A telco cannot use the 20-year period to pay for spectrum dues, even if its license has expired. Payments need to happen while the licenses are valid,” said the person aware of the development.