Vi 5G Rollout: Telco Says It Will Expand 5G Coverage in 90 Cities Within Two Months

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is expanding its 5G network in India, and the telecom operator announced on Monday that it will offer 5G connectivity in 90 additional cities within the next couple of months. Vi says its coverage in 15 circles, including key metro cities, will be improved as part of the rollout, which will be focused on areas with high 5G penetration and demand. The telco is playing catch up to rivals Airtel and Reliance Jio, which have rapidly set up their 5G network across several cities and towns in the country.

Vi 5G to Increase Coverage From 43 Cities to 133 Cities by May

The telecom operator said that it would bring its 5G network to "90 more cities by May 2026". The telecom operator also revealed that it currently offers 5G connectivity in 17 circles that span 43 cities, and said that this number is set to rise to 133 over the coming weeks, as it expands coverage in 15 circles.

As part of the upcoming rollout, Vi will expand its 5G coverage in several areas including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (East, West), Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Haryana, and Gujarat. Across these 15 circles, the telco says it will prioritise "industrial corridors, high data consumption centres and emerging urban clusters."

Key cities that will soon have access to Vi's 5G network include Chennai, Durgapur, Gandhinagar, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolhapur, Prayagraj, Puducherry, Sikar, Varanasi.

The operator has also offered details of its region-wise expansion plans, stating that in the North and East, it will offer 5G connectivity in select cities and areas such as Karnal, Panipat, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Haridwar, Asansol, Durgapur, Darjeeling, and Gangtok.

New areas to be supported in the West and South include Gandhidham, Bhuj, Solapur, Kolhapur, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur, Silvassa and Daman, as well as Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Thiruvalla and Nilambur. In Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior and Bhopal will get access to Vi's 5G network.

The operator says it has partnered with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung to bring its 5G networks to areas with 5G device penetration and demand. Vi says it will expand 5G coverage to these areas by May, which means the telco has two more months to expand the number of cities with Vi 5G coverage above the 100 mark.