Vodafone Idea has announced plans to launch its commercial 5G services by March 2025. This rollout comes as a significant move for the company, which has been perceived as a late entrant into the 5G arena. Competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio introduced their 5G services back in 2022. Vi intends to commence its service in major cities across 17 of India’s 22 telecom circles, beginning with Delhi and Mumbai.
The company revealed plans to install 5G equipment on 75,000 existing 4G sites over the next three years. This step follows a series of multibillion-dollar deals for 4G and 5G equipment with Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung.
Jagbir Singh, Vi’s Chief Technology Officer, has emphasized a cautious approach to the 5G rollout. “We are not going to be too aggressive on 5G,” said Singh, noting the importance of analyzing the market, use cases, and device penetration rates. Singh highlighted that 5G fixed wireless access remains a promising application, which Vi plans to explore shortly after its 5G launch.
Currently, Vi’s 4G network covers about 77% of the population, with aims to hit 90% by June next year. Financial constraints continue to loom over Vi, making the 5G rollout a complex challenge. The market for 5G services has yet to achieve substantial revenue generation, compelling Vi to bolster its 4G service coverage as a more immediate priority.
