Vodafone Idea to launch 5G in its 17 key circles by August

By Juan Pedro Tomás May 19, 2025

Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250519/5g/vodafone-idea-5

Vodafone Idea has partnered with Swedish vendor Ericsson to build the 5G infrastructure in Delhi

In sum – what you need to know:

Vodafone Idea launches 5G in Delhi – The telco activated its commercial 5G services in Delhi on May 15, following earlier launches in Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Patna.

Targeted 5G expansion – Vodafone Idea aims to roll out 5G services across all 17 of its priority telecom circles by August, focusing its efforts on key markets like Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

Energy-efficient 5G in Delhi – For its Delhi launch, the telco partnered with Ericsson to deploy lighter, energy-efficient 5G infrastructure and is using AI-powered self-organizing network (SON) technology.

Indian carrier Vodafone Idea recently announced plans to roll out 5G services across all 17 of its priority telecom circles in India by August this year.

In a release, the company also confirmed that its commercial 5G services went live in the Delhi region on May 15.

Since March, Vodafone Idea has introduced 5G services for consumers in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Patna. The operator has stated that its investments in expansion and upgrades will be concentrated in 17 of India’s 22 telecom circles, including key areas such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and both East and West Uttar Pradesh.

For the Delhi deployment, Vodafone Idea has partnered with Swedish vendor Ericsson to build the 5G infrastructure, which includes more energy-efficient and lightweight hardware. The telco also highlighted the use of AI-driven self-organizing network (SON) technology to boost network efficiency. Its 5G deployment is based on a non-standalone (NSA) 5G architecture.

The next cities to receive 5G services are Bengaluru and Mysuru.

In Mumbai, Vodafone Idea’s first city to receive commercial 5G, around 70% of eligible users are already using the service, with close to 20% of the operator’s total data traffic now running over its 5G network.

The telco launched its commercial 5G services in Mumbai in March, about two and a half years after rival telcos Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm.

Vodafone Idea recently told investors that launching 5G services later than its competitors has helped the company use newer technology and save costs. The carrier noted this delay allowed it to strategically adopt advanced Disaggregated Radio Access Network (RAN) systems, which improve operational efficiency, offer new capabilities, and significantly reduce network deployment and maintenance expenses.

Vodafone Idea, the third-largest private telecom operator in India, also aims to reach at least 90% of India’s population with 4G coverage by June 2025, compared to current 77%.

As part of its revival plan, Vodafone Idea had previously raised fresh funds to improve 4G coverage and roll out 5G to prevent further subscriber losses.

Vodafone Idea, which is a joint venture between the U.K.’s Vodafone Group and India’s Aditya Birla Group, would continue focusing on the 17 licensed areas or telecom circles for both 4G and 5G coverage, including roaming customers.

The operator has concluded different deals worth $3.6 billion with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for the supply of network equipment over a period of three years.

The Indian telco recently confirmed that it has allotted equity shares worth INR369.5 billion ($4.3 billion) to the Government of India. Following the allotment, the government’s shareholding in the company stands at 48.99%, up from the previous 22.6%. The development follows an order passed by the Ministry of Communications on March 29, 2025, to convert the outstanding spectrum auction dues, including deferred dues repayable after expiry of the moratorium period, into equity shares to be issued to the government.

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have started their 5G rollouts in October 2022. Currently, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm offer 5G networks in all major cities across the country.