Vi expands 5G rollout to 23 additional cities across India

Vi (Vodafone Idea), one of India’s major telecom operators, has announced the next phase of its 5G network rollout, with deployment now underway in 23 cities. These include Ahmedabad, Agra, Aurangabad, Kozhikode, Cochin, Dehradun, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Malappuram, Meerut, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Rajkot, Sonepat, Surat, Siliguri, Trivandrum, Vadodara and Vizag. The expansion will be implemented in phases and covers all of the company’s priority telecom circles.

This development follows Vi’s recent 5G launches in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Patna. It forms part of the company’s broader strategic deployment across 17 priority circles where it has acquired 5G spectrum. Users with compatible devices in the newly announced locations will be able to access Vi’s 5G services as they go live. As an introductory measure, Vi is offering unlimited 5G data on plans starting at Rs 299.

The initial response to Vi’s 5G rollout has shown encouraging uptake, with over 70% of eligible users in areas where the service is live having already accessed the new network.

To improve performance and energy efficiency, Vi is deploying AI-powered Self-Organising Networks (SON) and has partnered with global technology providers including Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. These collaborations aim to ensure seamless integration between Vi’s 4G and 5G infrastructure while supporting sustainability goals.

“Our 5G rollout is progressing steadily in a phased manner, and we’re pleased to extend next-generation connectivity to more users,” said Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer at Vi. “At the same time, we are strengthening our 4G network to provide a consistent and high-quality experience. With enhanced indoor coverage, increased capacity, and 84% population coverage, our focus remains on delivering improved digital services to Vi users.”

In parallel with its 5G expansion, Vi has undertaken extensive network upgrades to improve overall service quality. This includes its recent campaign highlighting the installation of 100,000 new towers over six months, emphasising the pace and scale of its infrastructure improvements.

Since April 2024, Vi has deployed 4G services on the 900 MHz band across approximately 65,000 sites, significantly enhancing both coverage and indoor connectivity. Additionally, more than 56,000 sites have been added on the 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and TDD bands, resulting in a 35% increase in 4G data capacity and a 26% improvement in 4G speeds. As a result, Vi’s 4G population coverage has expanded to 84%, up from 77% in March 2024, connecting an additional 88 million people to its digital network.