Dec 19 Reuters Indian telecom carrier Bharti Airtel has made an early payment of 36.26 billion rupees 426.4 million to the Indian government, the company said on Thursday, settling all its liabilities for the spectrum acquired in 2016.

India39;s No. 2 wireless carrier had paid 84.65 billion rupees towards the liabilities in September.

Indian telecom operators owe the government significant spectrum fees, following years of highstakes auctions and competitive bidding for airwave rights.

Bharti Airtel has paid a total of 283.2 billion rupees of spectrum liabilities in 2024, it said.

The company, which did not disclose its overall spectrum liabilities, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

It has already paid its 2012 and 2015 spectrum fees.

1 85.0430 Indian rupees

Reporting by Aleef Jahan and Nishit Navin in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Mrigank Dhaniwala

Source Reuters