NEW DELHI: Telecom minister Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the new telecom policy will be brought in the next session of Parliament (Monsoon Session) after getting a nod from the Cabinet.
“The new telecom policy is almost ready and we will place it on the Department of Telecom’s (DoT) website this month for public comments. We will bring it in the next session of Parliament,” Sinha said.
He said the recent Cabinet nod to the telecom relief package that gives more time and flexibility to telcos to pay for the spectrum fees will bring historic success to the sector. The relief package allows the telcos to have an option to either go for the new payment schedule for spectrum or continue under the existing arrangement.
Earlier this month, the Cabinet allowed telcos to pay for spectrum over 16 years instead of 10 years and permitted them to hold more airwaves, to give financial relief to the sector.At present, the telecom sector is reeling under a huge debt of Rs 7.87 lakh crore. The entry of Reliance Jio continues to add woes to the existing players.The telecom ministry hopes that the new telecom policy will help the sector to come out of stressed times and pave a smooth road ahead for them, said Sinha.
New policy to ease telecom’s debt burden
Rs 7.87 lakh cr current debt of the telecom sector