Vodafone Idea (Vi) has switched on its 5G network in Mumbai for a trial run, a significant step towards its planned commercial launch. The company plans a full-fledged rollout around Holi, which is on March 14.
“Vi 5G is currently in its trial phase in Mumbai. This marks a major milestone in our journey to bring next-gen connectivity to our customers. During this trial phase, a select group of consumers will experience high-speed connectivity firsthand,” a Vi spokesperson told Moneycontrol.
The trial phase allows select users to experience unlimited 5G data at no extra cost. Customers who receive an SMS from Vi Care or see a 5G signal on their devices may be eligible.
To access the trial, customers will need a 5G-compatible handset and a 5G-ready SIM (existing 4G SIMs are compatible).
While 5G data is free for selected users in the trial phase, if they move out of its coverage area, they will automatically be connected to 4G, consuming data from their existing 4G plan. Users will also receive alerts on their data consumption.
Vi is using these trials to gather feedback and fine-tune its network before the commercial launch. “We’ll share more about the launch of our 5G services at an appropriate time,” the spokesperson added.
With this move, Vodafone Idea joins Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in the race to expand 5G services across India.
The telco will launch commercial 5G service in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Patna in April 2025.
Last year, Vi signed $3.6 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) worth of deals with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung to expand 4G coverage and deploy 5G networks. With network equipment supplies underway, the company has been rapidly installing 5G base stations to accelerate its next-generation service rollout.
Vodafone Idea said it rapidly expanded its 4G coverage and capacity during the year. In the last nine months, it increased 4G coverage by around 41 million, reaching 1.07 billion by the end of December compared to 1.03 billion in March 2024.
During the period, Vi's 4G data capacity expanded by 24 percent, driving 28 percent improvement in 4G speeds. "We are on track to achieve our 4G population coverage target of 1.1 billion by March 2025 and plan to further increase it to 1.2 billion i.e. ~90 percent of population," the telco said in its Q3 results statement.
During the quarter, Vodafone Idea also expanded its footprint to more than 4,000 unique broadband towers, the largest addition in a quarter by the company since merger.
In the first nine months of FY25, Vodafone Idea (Vi) has tripled its capital expenditure to over Rs 5,300 crore, with a target of Rs 10,000 crore for the full fiscal year.
According to Vi CEO Akshaya Moondra, the company’s initial investments have significantly expanded 4G coverage, leading to early signs of recovery. He added that the gradual rollout of 5G is expected to further boost subscriber growth.
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