Vodafone Idea is gearing up to roll out its 5G mobile broadband services in March. This move aims to reclaim market share from major competitors Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, both of which already offer extensive 5G coverage across India. According to The Economic Times, Vodafone Idea plans to target 75 of India’s leading cities during the initial phase of its 5G launch. These areas are among its 17 priority circles, specifically targeting regions with high data consumption.
In terms of competition, Jio and Airtel have already amassed 148 million and 105 million 5G users respectively by September. Vodafone Idea’s upcoming service could introduce a pricing challenge. Analysts speculate that entry-level pricing may start up to 15% lower than current offerings from Jio and Airtel, potentially initiating a price competition.
A Vodafone Idea spokesperson stated, “We are preparing to launch 5G services and are committed to delivering exceptional value and performance.” They emphasized leveraging competitive spectrum holdings to bolster both 4G coverage and the rollout of 5G in critical urban centers.
CEO Akshaya Moondra hinted earlier that Vodafone Idea’s 5G pricing strategy may undercut larger competitors, with final pricing decisions expected as the launch nears.
For the deployment, Vodafone Idea will use a combination of 3.5 GHz and 1,800 MHz spectrum. Trials for these services have started but are not available commercially yet. The trials include cities like Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, utilizing 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz bands and accessible to both prepaid and postpaid users.
