Vodafone Idea (Vi) to Launch 5G in Mumbai Next Month, Expansion to Delhi and Bengaluru in April

Vodafone Idea (Vi) announced the commercial rollout of its 5G services in India on Tuesday. The telecom operator revealed its plans in its Q3 2024-25 report and highlighted that 5G services will first be launched in Mumbai in March. The company will then expand the services to four more cities in April. In December 2024, Vi first started 5G operation in 19 circles across the country, however, at the time it was not a commercial rollout. Notably, both Airtel and Jio launched 5G services in 2022.

Vi 5G Services to Start With Mumbai

Announcing its quarterly report for the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25, Vi shared its plans to roll out commercial 5G services in the country. After Mumbai, the company plans to expand its services to Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Patna in April 2025. The telecom operator has not named any other cities that could get 5G coverage in this phase.

"We are driving investments and the velocity of capex deployment is set to accelerate in the coming quarters. Concurrently, the phased rollout of 5G services is underway, targeting key geographies," said company CEO Akshaya Moondra, in a statement.

Apart from the 5G rollout, Vi also highlighted its rapid expansion of 4G population coverage in the last nine months. The company claimed that it had covered a population of 1.03 billion in March 2024, and expanded it by 41 million, reaching 1.07 billion by the end of December 2024.

The telecom operator also increased its 4G subscriber base from 125.6 million in Q3 FY24 to 126 million at the end of Q3 FY25. The telecom operator reported that its total subscriber base was at 199.8 million in the December quarter compared to 215.2 million in the same quarter in the previous fiscal year, registering a decline of 15.4 million.

Additionally, Vi reported that it increased its average revenue per user (ARPU) from Rs. 166 in Q2 to Rs. 173 in Q3, noting a rise of 4.7 percent. This rise was marked by tariff hikes and users opting for higher-priced plans, the company stated.

Further, the telecom operator expanded its presence to more than 4,000 unique broadband towers during the quarter. The company claimed it to be its largest addition in a single quarter since the merger.