­The Indian government's empowered group of ministers (EGoM) has decided to impose a charge on the mobile networks who hold what is claimed to be excess amounts of radio spectrum.

If approved by the Cabinet, the mobile networks will need to pay a fee for any radio spectrum they hold above 4.4Mhz from this month onwards.

The EGoM also decided to impose a retrospective fee for spectrum beyond 6.25Mhz held between July 2008 and October 2012, although at the 2001 rates, adjusted for interest rates.

The plans could raise around Rs.27,000 crore (US$5.1 billion) for the government.

It's estimated that Bharti Airtel may have to pay around Rs. 4,500 crore more, Vodafone about Rs. 3,000 crore, RComm around Rs. 3,600 crore and Idea around Rs. 2,200 crore.

If a network does not want to pay the fee, it can surrender the radio spectrum back to the regulator.