- Vi adds 5G coverage to 23 new Indian cities following initial launches in Delhi, Pune, and Gujarat.
- The operator continues expanding despite trailing Airtel and Jio in subscriber base and infrastructure.
What happened: Vi expands 5G network to new cities in phased launch plan
Vodafone Idea (Vi) has expanded its 5G services to 23 additional cities in India, according to a report from OnlyTech. This development follows the telecom operator’s earlier launches in Delhi, Pune, and select regions of Gujarat. The newly added cities include prominent locations such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and key urban centres across Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
The company is rolling out 5G services in phases, prioritising regions where its 4G infrastructure is already strong and where customers are using 5G-compatible devices. Vi users with eligible plans and supported handsets will automatically gain access to 5G services in the covered areas. The company said it aims to improve customer experience while gradually modernising its network to compete with rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
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Why this is important
This staged expansion highlights Vi’s cautious yet essential move to stay competitive in India’s rapidly evolving telecom sector. Both Reliance Jio and Airtel have already made significant strides in their 5G rollouts since 2022. Vi’s delayed entry, due to its ongoing financial stress and delayed funding, has cost it market share. The current expansion, while still behind in scale, reflects attempts to retain premium users and increase data revenues.
The 5G push also underscores the broader demand for faster mobile data in India’s digital economy, especially in metros and tier-1 cities. However, analysts remain sceptical about Vi’s ability to scale quickly without completing its long-pending capital raise. The company’s debt burden and limited investment capacity have hampered its 5G readiness. According to TRAI, Vi continues to lose wireless subscribers monthly, raising doubts about user retention despite new rollouts. Without significant funding or strategic partnerships, Vi’s 5G journey may lag further, impacting user experience and the competitive landscape.
