New Delhi: Mobile tariffs are set to rise with telecom operators aggressively bidding to win airwaves. Market leader Bharti Airtel and second biggest carrier Vodafone bought airwaves worth Rs. 18,600 crore each in the hotly contested auction.
The companies will be paying Rs. 61,000 crore to the government, much more than the reserve price of Rs. 41,000 crore. For the efficient 900 MHz spectrum, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea paid a premium of 84 per cent above the reserve price.
Spectrum in India will now become the most expensive in the world. Mobile operators will have no option but to raise call rates to compensate for higher spectrum charges. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea last year raised voice prices for the first time in three years. Mobile companies have also been cutting discounts previously offered to lure customers in a highly-competitive market.