In order to settle its debt for the spectrum it purchased in the recently finished 5G auctions, Bharti Airtel has paid the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Rs 8312.4 crore. Instead of paying the 20 equal annual instalments, Airtel chose to pay four years’ worth of the 2022 spectrum fees up front.

According to Airtel, this upfront payment, when combined with the four-year suspension on spectrum dues and AGR-related payments, will free up future cash flows and enable the company to allocate resources to the 5G rollout with complete focus.