Vodafone Idea has recently initiated trials for its 5G services in India
Indian telco Vodafone Idea has 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.
In a New Year message to the telco’s customers, Vodafone Idea’s CEO Akshaya Moondra shared the company’s vision for the year ahead, emphasizing continued network investments, the introduction of advanced technology and revised tariff plans.
Moondra also highlighted the company’s key achievements last year, including adding over 46,000 new network sites and enhancing the capacity of more than 58,000 existing sites. These efforts have significantly improved network coverage and indoor connectivity.
“Partnering with global leaders such as Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung, we are driving a transformative three-year investment plan. By March 2025, thousands of new sites will enhance your connectivity, elevating your network experience to extraordinary heights,” the executive said.
Vodafone Idea has recently initiated trials for its 5G services in India, according to local press reports.
The 5G trials are limited to 17 telecom circles and are not yet commercially available. This development 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 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.
Previous reports stated that Vodafone Idea expects to begin rolling out commercial 5G services by March 2025 across 17 priority circles across the country, starting with Delhi and Mumbai.
Vodafone Idea, the third-largest private telecom operator in India, also aims to reach at least 90% of India’s population with 4G coverage by June 2025, compared to current 77%
As part of its revival plan, Vodafone Idea had recently 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.
