Vodafone Idea (Vi) to Roll Out 5G Services in India Starting March 2025

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is finally set to launch its 5G services in India, starting March 2025. The announcement came during the company's Q3 2024 earnings report, where it confirmed that both prepaid and postpaid subscribers will soon get access to its next-generation network.  

Vi 5G Rollout Timeline

Phase 1 – March 2025

• Vi will first launch 5G services in Mumbai.  

Phase 2 – April 2025

• The rollout will then expand to more cities, including:  

  • Delhi

  • Bengaluru

  • Chennai 

  • Patna

Vodafone Idea CEO Akshaya Moondra emphasized that the company is accelerating its investments to expand its 5G network across India.  

“We are driving investments, and the velocity of capex deployment is set to accelerate in the coming quarters. Concurrently, the phased rollout of 5G services is underway, targeting key geographies.” – Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vi  

Vi’s 5G Testing and Technology

Vi has been conducting 5G trials since December 2024, testing its network across all 17 telecom circles in India. Reports suggest that Vi is deploying Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G, which utilizes existing 4G infrastructure for a more cost-efficient rollout.  

NSA 5G vs. SA 5G

Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G:  

  • Uses 4G infrastructure for faster deployment.

  • More cost-effective, but higher latency.  

  • Vi is testing 5G on 26GHz and 3.3GHz spectrums.

Standalone (SA) 5G (used by Jio):  

  • Requires dedicated 5G infrastructure.  

  • Offers low latency and better network performance.  

Although Vi has not officially revealed details about its 5G performance, early reports indicate it has successfully met MRO guidelines for a commercial rollout.  

Vodafone Idea 5G Plans

Vi has confirmed that unlimited 5G plans will be available at:  

• ₹299 for prepaid users  

• ₹451 for postpaid users 

This puts Vi’s pricing in a competitive range with Jio and Airtel, which have been offering 5G services since October 2022.  

Conclusion 

After years of anticipation, Vodafone Idea is finally stepping into the 5G era. While the initial rollout is limited to Mumbai in March 2025, followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Patna in April, the company is expected to expand its network to more cities in the coming months.  

With competitive pricing and a phased deployment strategy, Vi 5G could become a strong alternative to Jio and Airtel, offering Indian users another major player in the 5G space.

(Source)