Sunil Mittal heaps praise on Modi government for ease of doing business as Bharti Airtel gets 5G bands within hours of payment

Bharti Airtel founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has hailed the Modi government for ease of doing business after the company received an allocation letter for the designated 5G frequency bands within hours of payment of the dues.

“No Fuss, No Follow Up, No running around the corridors, and No tall claims. This is the ease of doing business at work in its full glory," Bharti Airtel's chairman said in a statement appreciating the Department of Telecommunications, which comes under the Ministry of Communications.

“In my over 30 years of first-hand experience with DOT, this is a first! Business as it should be. Leadership at work-Right at the top and at the helm of telecom. What a change, change that can transform this nation - power its dreams to be a developed nation,” he added.

Yesterday, Airtel paid Rs 8312.4 crore towards spectrum dues and was provided the allocation letter for the designated frequency bands within hours. E band allocation was given along with spectrum as promised, the chairman’s statement also read.

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it has paid Rs 8,312.4 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT) towards dues for spectrum acquired in the recently concluded 5G auctions. Airtel said it has paid four years of 2022 5G spectrum dues upfront.

"This upfront payment of 4 years allows us to drive 5G rollout in a concerted manner given our operating free cash flow," said Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, Bharti Airtel.

The DoT has received upfront payment of around Rs 17,876 crore from Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Adani Data Networks and Vodafone Idea for spectrum they won in a recent auction, according to PTI sources.

While all telecom operators have opted to make payments in 20 annual installments, Bharti Airtel has paid Rs 8,312.4 crore equivalent to four annual installments. Reliance Jio has made payment of Rs 7,864.78 crore, Vodafone Idea Rs 1,679.98 crore and Adani Data Networks Rs 18.94 crore.