Telecom operators have pushed for a lower licence fee during a meeting with an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) set up to look into the bleeding telecom sector.
While Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have met the panel over the last few days, others are slated to meet next week.
In the meeting, Airtel officials are believed to have voiced their concerns over the financial health of the industry and discussed various other issues, sources said.
The operators have suggested, among other things, reduction of licence fee to 1-5 per cent from present 8 per cent, spectrum usage charges to 0-3 per cent from 4.8 per cent and spectrum payment instalments may be raised to 18 years from the present 8.
Both Airtel and Vodafone were not available for comments.
The Ministry of Communications had set up the IMG also to look into the policy reforms and strategic interventions. The IMG will have to submit its recommendations in three months.
The IMG includes various officials of the Department of Telecommunications, Department of Financial Services, Department of Economic Affairs and Department of Revenue.
The industry – including operators and their bodies – had stated the sector was bleeding with a debt at about ₹8,00,000 crore, annual interest payment of telcos at about ₹78,000 crore and financials such as EBITDA of telcos down to around ₹50,000 crore.