Vodafone Idea said the 5G rollout will continue in April 2025, expanding to Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delh and Patna
Indian telco Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced the commercial launch of its 5G services in India, beginning with Mumbai in March 2025.
According to the operator’s latest earnings report, the 5G rollout will continue in April 2025, expanding to Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delh and Patna.
“Our commitment to providing comprehensive Vi 5G coverage means that we’re investing in expanding our network infrastructure across the country,” the telco noted. “As we roll out our services, we prioritize connectivity in high-demand areas, ensuring that your experience with Vi 5G remains unmatched. Stay tuned for updates on the latest regions covered by our network.”
With this commercial launch, Vi will become India’s third telecom provider to offer 5G services, following Airtel and Jio, both of which introduced 5G in 2022.
In addition to its 5G rollout, Vodafone Idea has significantly expanded its 4G network over the past nine months. The company increased its 4G population coverage by approximately 41 million, reaching 1.07 billion by December 2024, up from 1.03 billion in March 2024. Vi aims to reach 1.1 billion in 4G population coverage by March 2025 and is planning further expansion to 1.2 billion, covering nearly 90% of the population.
In January, Vodafone Idea had announced plans to initiate a phased rollout of 5G services in 2025, as part of its broader strategy to enhance network capabilities and improve customer experience.
This upcoming 5G deployment follows a two-year delay since Vodafone Idea participated in the 2021 spectrum auctions, where rival operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm launched their 5G services soon after.
The carrier had begun testing its 5G services in December 2024, conducting trials in 17 selected areas across India.
The cities included in the trial are Jaipur (Rajasthan), Karnal (Haryana), Kolkata (West Bengal), Thrikkakara, Kakkanad (Kerala), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh East), Agra (Uttar Pradesh West), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Siliguri (West Bengal), Patna (Bihar), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Jalandhar (Punjab), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Pune (Maharashtra) and Delhi.
The 5G trials by Vodafone Idea are accessible to both prepaid and postpaid customers and are operating on the 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz spectrum bands.
As part of its revival plan, Vodafone Idea had previously raised fresh funds to improve 4G coverage and roll out 5G to prevent further subscriber losses. Rival operators Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel already offer 5G services nationwide and operate an extensive 4G network.
The Indian carrier, which is a joint venture between the U.K.’s Vodafone Group and India’s Aditya Birla Group would continue focusing on the 17 licensed areas or telecom circles for both 4G and 5G coverage, including roaming customers, the reports added.
Vodafone Idea had previously concluded different deals worth $3.6 billion with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for the supply of network equipment over a period of three years.
