Vodafone rolls out 4G SIMs in Mumbai

NEW DELHI: India’s second largest wireless operator by subscribers, Vodafone India has announced the availability of 4G SIMs for its customers at all of its 56 exclusive stores located at prominent locations in and around Mumbai ahead of 4G launch in financial capital.

Last year, telecom firm had said that it will commence its 4G services in Mumbai by December 2015 and had invested over Rs 500 crores to modernize and upgrade existing network.

"The intensity of its roll-out will continue with major metros like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi to be launched by March 2016," Vodafone said.

Going ahead,  the company has launched its next generation, high speed 4G network in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi (Kerala) recently.

"To avail 4G services, customers will need to have a 4G-enabled handset and a new 4G-ready SIM card. To ensure a smooth and seamless exchange of 4G-ready SIMs, these are being made available in advance of the commercial launch of Vodafone’s 4G services in Mumbai. A formal announcement regarding the launch, which is expected soon, will be made in due course," the company said.

"Customers can walk into any nearby Vodafone store and get their 4G-ready SIM with a hassle free exchange process. With the new 4G-ready SIM, they will continue to enjoy uninterrupted mobile internet experience as per their existing plans and will be automatically upgraded to 4G as soon as the services are launched commercially," it said.

“Vodafone is the leading telecommunication services provider in Mumbai and our 8.6 million customers have a lot to look forward to. We want our customers to be 4G-ready so that they can start experiencing the benefits of high speed mobile internet services as soon as they are launched commercially. Hence, this facility to upgrade to 4G-ready SIMs in advance. We are excited and fully geared up to launch our 4G services on the superior 1800 MHz band in Mumbai very soon.," said Ishmeet Singh, Business Head–Mumbai, Vodafone India.

Vodafone has successfully tested its 4G services on its robust network architecture coupled with strong backup to support the expected volumes and speed requirements of its customers. In the past few months, Vodafone has invested significantly in modernizing its existing network, incorporating the latest advances in technology making it more resilient and energy efficient.

The company had already rolled out over 1,000 sites and invested more than Rs 500 crores in Mumbai. It has also made significant investments in upgrading its own network plus modernizing the radio network and switching systems to provide a superior mobile internet experience for customers.