DoT extends last date to make payments for 5G spectrum to August 17

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has extended the last date to make payments for spectrum acquired in the recently concluded auction to August 17 as there is a bank holiday in Mumbai and Maharashtra on August 16.

Two of the telecom firms –Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have their headquarters in Mumbai while
Bharti Airtel is based out of Delhi NCR. New entrant Adani Networks is based out of Ahmedabad.

On August 5, the DoT had issued demand notices to all the four companies that have acquired spectrum, to make payments by August 16. The telcos have been given the option to pay in 20 equal annual instalments or they can choose to pay the entire amount or part of it upfront. Such part payment would be for at least two years or more.

If opting for 20 equal instalments, Reliance Jio Infocomm’s first payment will amount to Rs 7,864 crore, followed by Bharti Airtel (Rs 3,848 crore), Vodafone Idea (Rs 1,679 crore) and Adani Data Networks (Rs 18.94 crore). The Adani group company is expected to pay the entire bid amount of Rs 212 crore upfront.

Market leader Jio was the largest bidder in the 5G airwave auctions that ended on Monday, spending Rs 88,078 crore, while Airtel and Vodafone Idea bought airwaves worth Rs 43,084 crore and Rs 18,799 crore, respectively.

The Centre netted Rs 150,173 crore from the sale of 51,236 MHz in the seven-day auction. In all, it had put 72,098 MHz of airwaves on sale.