Indian operator Bharti Airtel has delayed publication of its quarterly results to 14 November. The company said the board needed more time to assess the impact of the recent Supreme Court ruling ordering mobile operators to pay billions in regulatory fees.
Airtel said it would approach the Department of Telecom to seek clarity on the total amounts involved and request "support to deal with this adverse outcome".
The court has ordered the operators to pay the fees within three months. Vodafone Idea announced separately that it was still studying the court ruling but would also consult the DoT to see if the penalties and interest at least could be waived. The decision puts Vodafone's owed fees at INR 283.09 billion including penalties and interest, the operator said.
A ministry source told Reuters that the Indian government is forming a panel of civil servants to suggest ways to alleviate financial pressures on the telecoms sector, including the nearly USD 13 billion in fees the DoT is claiming under the court ruling. The panel will also look at postponing some spectrum payments coming due in 2020-22, as well as reducing spectrum charges and contributions to the fund for improving rural coverage, the source said.
