Airtel prepays spectrum dues worth ₹8,465 cr

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel has prepaid another ₹8,465 crore to the DoT against 173.8 MHz of spectrum acquired in 2016, in a bid to lower interest costs and free up cash as it deepens its 4G network and expands 5G services. The company had total dues of ₹14,244 crore, which was deferred as part of the telecom relief package doled out by the government in 2021, India’s second-largest telecom operator said in a statement on Monday. “These liabilities carried an interest rate of 9.3%,” it said.