RIL, others pay Rs 30,229 cr for BWA spectrum; BSNL yet to pay

The government today received Rs 30,229.51 crore as fee towards broadband wireless spectrum from all successful bidders, with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL's internet arm Infotel alone coughing up Rs 12,847.77 crore.

State-owned BSNL is yet to pay the dues amounting to Rs 8,313.80 crore and no explanation, either from the corporation or from the government was forthcoming. DoT officials said there was no information from the PSU.

The government has also confirmed that no exemption has been given to either of the two telecom PSUs from paying for 3G and BWA spectrum.

Official sources confirmed having received payment from all the other players on the last day for payment today.

BSNL, sources said, had asked for exemption from paying for the spectrum but the same was rejected by the government.

With today's collection, the government has received Rs 97,948.46 crore from the sale of spectrum for both 3G and BWA.

The total collection would go up to Rs 106,262.26 crore once BSNL pays its dues.

The spectrum auction for 3G had yielded Rs 67,718.95 crore.

Besides Infotel, Bharti Airtel paid Rs 3,314.36 crore, Qualcomm Rs 4,912.54 crore, MTNL Rs 4533.97 crore and Aircel Rs 3,438.01 crore.

Infotel had emerged as the only pan-India winner for BWA spectrum in the auction that concluded on June 11.

Within hours of ending of the BWA auction, Mukesh Ambani -led Reliance Industries had announced that it will acquire Infotel for Rs 4,800 crore in a deal that valued the Mahendra Nahata group internet service provider at about Rs 5,000 crore.

As part of the deal, RIL would infuse Rs 4,800 crore in the company as fresh equity capital to gain 95 per cent stake.

The acquisition marked Mukesh Ambani group's entry into telecom sector in less than a month of he and his younger brother Anil reaching a truce by ending a no-compete agreements to enable each other an opportunity to enter and invest in areas hitherto barred under a 2005 family settlement for division of Reliance empire.