Airtel pays Rs 1,950 cr to DoT towards deferred spectrum dues; Jio pays Rs 1,053 cr: Sources

Bharti Airtel has made the payment of Rs 1,950 crore to the telecom department towards its deferred spectrum dues, while Reliance Jio paid Rs 1,053 crore, sources said on Tuesday.

Deferred spectrum dues are essentially instalment payments that are made by telcos for airwaves bought in past auctions and are separate from their AGR liabilities.

The sources said that while Bharti Airtel has made payment of Rs 1,950 crore to the Department of Telecommunications towards deferred spectrum dues, Reliance Jio has paid Rs 1,053 crore.

Vodafone Idea too paid about Rs 3,043 crore towards deferred spectrum dues, as per the sources. VIL's payment in particular assumes significance as the company has been under tremendous financial pressure and is confronted with AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) liabilities of over Rs 53,000 crore.

This is the last lot of payments that telcos will make towards deferred spectrum liabilities to the DoT, as the Union Cabinet had late last year approved a two year's moratorium on such spectrum dues.