With the department of telecommunications (DoT) allocating telcos the crucial “backhaul” spectrum — for last mile connectivity between towers through microwave linkage — by an administered price mechanism, telecom operators could be staring at the possibility of once again paying retrospectively to the government.

       This is because of a crucial rider inserted in the agreement: telcos will have to pay the auction-discovered price retrospectively if and when the earmarked spectrum is auctioned by the government. The clause was added because of the 2013 Supreme Court ...