New Delhi: As the telecom sector stares at a massive payout following a Supreme Court order, the government has constituted a Committee of Secretaries to work out a financial bailout package that may include lowering of spectrum charges as well as ending the era of free mobile phone calls and dirt cheap data. The Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, has been asked to examine "all aspects" of "financial stress" faced by service providers such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-Idea Ltd and suggest measures to mitigate them, sources in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said.

The panel, which will comprise of secretaries to the ministries of finance, law, and telecom, has been asked to look at the demands of telecom service providers (TSPs) for deferment of payments they had promised for the spectrum won through auction as well as consider lowering airwave usage charge. It has also been asked to consider lowering the obligation of TSPs for providing 5 per cent of their annual revenues for the Universal Service Obligation Fund, they said. In parallel, sector regulator Trai is expected to examine prescribing minimum charge for voice and data services, which according to old telecom operators will ensure long term viability and robust financial health of the sector, they said.