NEW DELHI: Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Monday announced the next phase of its 5G rollout, with deployment now underway in 23 additional cities. The rollout will proceed in a phased manner, covering all of Vi’s 17 priority circles where it holds 5G spectrum.
The expansion includes key urban centers such as Ahmedabad, Agra, Aurangabad, Kozhikode, Cochin, Dehradun, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Malappuram, Meerut, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Rajkot, Sonepat, Surat, Siliguri, Trivandrum, Vadodara, and Visakhapatnam (Vizag).
This move follows Vi’s earlier 5G launches in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Patna. Customers with 5G-enabled smartphones in the newly added cities will be able to access Vi’s 5G services as they go live.
“Our 5G rollout is progressing steadily in a phased manner, and we’re excited to bring next-gen connectivity to more users,” said Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer at Vi. “At the same time, we’re strengthening our 4G network to ensure a seamless experience for our users.”
Vi reported that in areas where its 5G service is live, over 70% of eligible users have already experienced the network, signaling strong initial adoption and demand.
The company further said that to optimize network performance and energy efficiency it is deploying AI-powered Self-Organising Networks (SON) and has partnered with global telecom technology leaders Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung. These collaborations are aimed at enabling seamless integration of Vi’s advanced 4G and 5G infrastructure, while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability.
Since April 2024, Vi has deployed 4G on the 900 MHz band across approximately 65,000 sites, resulting in improved indoor connectivity and broader coverage. Additionally, more than 56,000 sites have been added on the 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and TDD bands, boosting 4G data capacity by 35% and increasing 4G speeds by 26%. As a result, Vi’s 4G population coverage has grown from 77% in March 2024 to 84%, connecting an additional 88 million people to its digital services