Reimburse spectrum money paid by BSNL,MTNL: Raja to FM

Citing earlier precedents,Raja emphasised that in terms of the New Telecom Policy,1999,BSNL (then DoT) was not required to pay an entry fee for Cellular Mobile Licences,which were bundled with initial spectrum of 4.4 Mhz.

BSNL was also exempted from payment of 2G spectrum charges of Rs 1,650 crore in view of its immense social and rural obligations,he added.

Private operators,however,have always opposed any concession paid to the telecom PSUs,saying by doing so they (PSUs) get undue advantage and they can offer predatory prices to outcompete private operators.

Upon discovery of the price for 3G and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum,BSNL and MTNL recently paid Rs 18,500.38 crore and Rs 11,097.97 crore,respectively,to the government.

“Both BSNL and MTNL have made a desperate request for reimbursement of the charges paid,” Raja said.

The Finance Minister had raised over Rs 1,06,262 crore from sale of spectrum for both 3G and BWA services. This would help the government cut fiscal deficit by almost one percentage point in the current financial year.