India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said talks are underway, covering potential collaboration on towers, fiber networks, and spectrum assets
In sum – what to know:
Sharing talks begin – Vodafone Idea and BSNL are discussing joint use of towers, fiber, and spectrum to improve coverage and reduce duplication.
Cost pressure rises – Both operators face capex constraints, prompting collaboration to optimize resources and support network expansion across India.
5G rollout impact – Infrastructure sharing could help accelerate deployments, particularly as Vi scales 5G and BSNL prepares to launch services.
Indian carrier Vodafone Idea (Vi) and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) have entered early-stage discussions on sharing telecom infrastructure and spectrum, as both operators look to manage costs and strengthen network capabilities.
According to local reports, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) confirmed that talks are underway, covering potential collaboration on towers, fiber networks and spectrum assets.
The parliamentary committee on communications and information technology has expressed support for the initiative, highlighting the need to avoid duplication of infrastructure—particularly where government-linked assets are involved.
The committee also noted that greater sharing of infrastructure and spectrum could improve efficiency, expand connectivity, and contribute to faster rollout of 5G services. It has asked the DoT to prepare a detailed proposal outlining timelines, potential savings, and broader impact within six months.
The discussions come at a critical time for both operators. Vodafone Idea, in which the Indian government holds a 48.99% stake following a 2025 intervention, is working to stabilize its finances while expanding 5G coverage across India. The telco began rolling out 5G services in August 2025, initially in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and has been gradually extending coverage.
BSNL, meanwhile, is still in the early stages of its mobile network upgrade. The operator launched 4G services only recently and has yet to introduce 5G, relying on the domestically developed infrastructure for its rollout.
Vi has outlined plans to invest INR450 billion ($4.9 billion) over the next three years to upgrade its network, aiming to reach 5G parity in key markets and improve overall performance.
“Vodafone Idea and BSNL face an uphill battle against Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Combining their assets would enable them to expand their coverage, improve their service quality, share the capex burden, and reduce their operational costs, ultimately making them more competitive against the largest players,” Rémy Pascal, practice leader of mobile infrastructure at Omdia, told RCR Wireless News.
“From the consumer perspective, this is broadly positive as such collaboration should help improve their network experience, without being directly linked to mobile tariffs. From the network equipment vendors perspective, it’s difficult to assess the impact without knowing exactly the extent of the potential network sharing agreement. In the short-term, orders may soften during the six‑month analysis phase and until a clear decision on collaboration is finalized. In the medium-term, we see the creation of a stronger third network as a positive development,” the analyst added.
