DoT is also now mulling whether the apex court order also impacts any other company which uses spectrum or has a licence.

The telcos to pay the principal due together with interest and penalties within three months.

Service providers have sufficient financial capacity to pay govt dues by monetising their existing investments and by issuing fresh equity.

Vodafone Idea plummeted 23.36 pc to close at Rs 4.33 on the BSE. In intra-day, it tanked 27.43 pc to Rs 4.10 -- its 52-week low.

Overall, structural issues need to be identified and addressed at the earliest, COAI Director General noted.

Typically, a telecom operator pays for connecting calls of its subscribers to the company on whose network a call terminates.

Currently, the minimum broadband speed is 512 Kbps.

COAI told DoT, sale of such illegal items not only violates norms but also hampers service quality for subscribers.