Apart from Delhi and Bengaluru, Vodafone Idea’s 5G services will be launched in Chandigarh and Patna.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) announced the commercial launch of its 5G services in India on Tuesday. The telecom operator published its plans in its Q3 2024-25 report, stating that 5G services will be launched in Mumbai in March. The company will then expand its services to four other cities in April. Vi initially began 5G operations in 19 circles across the country in December 2024, but this was not a commercial launch. Notably, both Airtel and Jio announced 5G services in 2022.
Vi 5G Services To Begin With Mumbai
Vi announced its quarterly report for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024-25, including plans to launch commercial 5G services in the country. Following Mumbai, the company intends to expand its services to Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Patna in April 2025. The telecom provider has not announced any other cities that could receive 5G coverage during this phase.
“We are driving investments, and the pace of capex deployment is expected to accelerate in the coming quarters. Concurrently, a gradual rollout of 5G services is ongoing, focusing on major locations,” stated business CEO Akshaya Moondra in a statement.
Apart from the 5G deployment, Vi noted the rapid development of 4G population coverage over the last nine months. The corporation claimed to have covered a population of 1.03 billion in March 2024, which had grown by 41 million to 1.07 billion by the end of December 2024.
The telecom operator’s 4G customer base climbed from 125.6 million in Q3 FY24 to 126 million by the end of Q3 FY25. The telecom operator announced that its entire subscriber base was 199.8 million in the December quarter, down from 215.2 million in the same period last fiscal year, a 15.4 million decrease.
Vi also announced that its average revenue per user (ARPU) climbed from Rs. 166 in Q2 to Rs. 173 in Q3, representing a 4.7% jump. Tariff increases and people choosing higher-priced plans contributed to this spike, according to the business.
During the quarter, the telecom operator also added over 4,000 new broadband towers to its network. The corporation stated that it was its largest addition in a single quarter since the merger.
