Skip to main content

Spectrum trading norms may affect telecom firms finances

By

Once spectrum trading is allowed, the government might include proceeds from this in telecom operators’ adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which could impact the financials of these companies, already reeling under huge debt.
The Department of Telecommunications ( DoT) has written to the finance ministry, seeking its view on the matter. Internally, the department was of the opinion that proceeds from revenue through spectrum trading should be part of telcos’ AGR, said a senior DoT official.
Speaking on the issue, Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister for communications and information technology, told the Business Standard, “ We have written to the finance ministry on this issue. A final view will be taken only after we receive their inputs. The norms for trading will be announced soon.” In its recommendations, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had said, “The amount received from trading will be part of the AGR for the purpose of licence fee… and spectrum usage charges ( SUC) will be applied on spectrum acquired through trading.” Also, operators will have to pay one per cent of the transaction amount to the government.
Telecom companies had written to the government, from spectrum trading trading is a deterrent to trading, In their letter, the telcos said, “ Only the capital gains, i. e. sale proceeds from spectrum trading less the cost of acquisition ( including cost of liberalisation of administrative spectrum) may be considered for the purpose of licence fee and SUC.” Last week, the Cabinet allowed spectrum- sharing norms, allowing operators to share spectrum in the same band. This will enable them to improve cost efficiency, increase capacity for heavy mobile voice and data traffic, and reduce call drops. But the Cabinet did not take any decision on trading rules.
When allowed, spectrum trading will allow telcos to trade unused spectrum with other operators, without waiting for the next round of spectrum auction.
This could give an exit route to smaller players, besides giving them the option of trading in particular circles. In an analyst note, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said it didn’t think spectrum- sharing norms were a game changer. “ No material uptake in sharing by telecom companies and the lack of trading norms, which would have provided smaller companies an exit, is disappointing,” it said.
Business Standard, New Delhi, 19th August 2015

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Govt’s gamble on GST cuts: What do the bond and currency markets signal?

By
  It’s not just humans who suffer from cognitive biases; markets do too. Interestingly, different financial markets exhibit distinct biases, each interpreting events through its own prism of prejudice. Take the recent announcements on GST reforms: equity markets have chosen to view them through the lens of growth, while bond and currency markets are focusing on potential macroeconomic risks—fiscal pressures and current account challenges. So, which lens captures the true pulse?Equity markets may be right in expecting GST reforms to revive consumption, which has remained lacklustre for a while. But the key question remains—will this revival come at the cost of broader macro stability?It is well known that consumption stocks have rallied since the GST rationalisation announcement. But what about bond markets? What signals are they sending since this rejig was announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort?The signs aren't encouraging. Bond prices have slumped and yields have surged sinc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Luxury carmakers urge clarity on GST rates to boost festive season sales

By
  A clear picture regarding new GST rates at the earliest will help the overall auto industry, including the luxury car segment, to regain momentum in the ongoing quarter, which generally sees enhanced sales on account of the festive season.The high-powered GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet on September 3-4 to discuss moving to a two-slab taxation.In an interaction with PTI, BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar said the recent speculation about the change in GST rates has caused uncertainty in the minds of consumers.Consumer interest and demand is strong, but they (prospective buyers) have adopted a wait-and-watch approach, and this delayed decision-making is impacting new vehicle sales at a certain level, he noted."Expediting clarity on GST rates is essential to get back to speed and ensure the auto sector's contribution to economic growth during this quarter is robust," Brar stated.He also hoped that the sustainable p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sebi proposes tighter norms for green bond third-party reviewers

By
  Sebi on Friday said it has proposed to tighten the norms to appoint independent third-party reviewers or certifiers for green debt securities to align them with requirements for other ESG-linked bonds.In a draft circular, Sebi said that the current norms for green bonds, introduced in February 2023, lack detailed requirements around reviewer independence, conflict of interest mitigation, and disclosure standards that are now in place for other ESG-linked securities under a June 2025 circular.The regulator's latest proposal seeks public comments on a revised framework that would bring parity by incorporating comprehensive criteria for third-party certifiers of green bonds on non-convertible securities.Under the proposed norms, issuers of green debt securities will need to appoint reviewers who are independent of their management, directors, and key managerial personnel. These reviewers will be remunerated in a way that prevents any conflicts of interest and possess relevant expert...
Post a Comment
Read more