Gross revenue of telecom operators slipped 7.13 per cent in 2018, while licence fee and spectrum charges that the government collects from them fell 10.29 per cent and 17.7 per cent, respectively, during the year, according to regulator Trai. The adjusted gross revenue (AGR) earned by companies from sale of telecom services dropped over 10 per cent to Rs 1,44,446 crore during 2018 from Rs 1,60,814 crore in 2017, according to the Trai’s telecom services performance indicator report for 2018. “Gross revenue (GR) declined from Rs 2,55,655 crore in…2017 to Rs 2,37,417 crore in…2018 with yearly decline rate of 7.13 per cent. AGR also declined from Rs 1,60,814 crore in…2017 to Rs 1,44,446 crore in…2018 with yearly decline rate of 10.18 per cent,” it said. Spectrum usage charges (SUC) was 17.74 per cent lower at Rs 4,186 crore in 2018, while licence fee collections fell 10.2 per cent to Rs 11,641 crore. “Public sector undertakings (PSUs) share in the access AGR of telecom services is 9.66 per cent for the year 2018 as compared to 10.23 per cent in the previous year,” it said.

(Economic Times)