'Mobile call, service rates can go up by 12-15%'

Mobile call and service rates can go up by 12-15% to make up for the Rs 1,09,874.91 spectrum price telecom operators need to pay to government, industry body COAI said. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents all telecom companies that won spectrum in recent auction, contested the analysis shared by Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and seconded by Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg that there will an impact of only 1.3 paise per minute on call rates. "While the industry would be happy to review this calculation by the DoT, the industry's analysis of the financial implications of the auction indicates an increase of more than 12-15% on the present tariffs, to make up for the cash outflows of the operators," COAI said in a statement.   PTI