Vodafone Idea (Vi) is all set to roll out its long-awaited 5G services in India. The telecom operator has finally announced that it will roll out 5G services in the country in the next few months, starting with major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Bangalore, and more. The latest move is set to bring the telecom operator back to competition with its bigger rivals, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. So, if you are wondering when the operator will introduce its 5G services in the country, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will be talking in depth about the Vi 5G services, its rollout date, list of available cities, expected pricing, and more. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Vi 5G Rollout in India Details
Vodafone Idea (Vi), in its quarterly report for the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25, revealed that it is planning to roll out its 5G services in the country. The company has confirmed that it will begin the rollout of its 5G services in April 2025, though the exact date of the rollout is not known at the time of writing. “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.
Interestingly, in December 2024, the telecom operator rolled out its 5G services in 17 circles across India, though it was not part of the commercial rollout. The company clarified that it had rolled out the 5G connectivity as per the Minimum Rollout Obligation set by the Government. Finally, the brand has confirmed that it will begin the 5G rollout in the next few months.
Vi 5G: List of Available Cities
Vi has revealed that it will be rolling out its 5G services in select cities across the country, with more to follow in the near future. As per the brand, the Vi 5G connectivity will be first available in Delhi, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, and Patna. The operator has not revealed any other cities in this phase.
Vi 5G Speed
Although the exact 5G speed is yet to be out after commercial rollout, the brand has run several 5G trials in different locations, giving us some insight into the potential 5G speeds on the Vi network. To start with, in May 2022, the company achieved a top download speed of 5.92Gbps during the 5G trials in Pune, while it got 1.2Gbps of speed at MG Road Metro Station in Bengaluru. Similarly, the brand was able to achieve around 1Gbps of download speed in different trials that took place in multiple cities across the country.
Vi 5G Spectrum
Vodafone Idea (VI) acquired 50 MHz spectrum in a 3,300 MHz band across 17 circles each for Rs 15,137.75 crore through auctions that were held in 2022. That said, it is reported that the telecom operator might use a mix of 3.5GHz (C-band) and 1,800MHz spectrum for its initial 5G rollouts. That said, we might get more information closer to the launch timelines.
Vi 5G: Expected Prices of Plans
The brand has also revealed that it plans to introduce cheaper 5G plans than Jio and Airtel. The company has confirmed that the plans may be up to 15 percent cheaper at entry levels compared to other telcos, meaning that we might see another price war between the telecom operators once the Vi 5G network is rolled out.