Vodafone Idea has finally launched its 5G services in India, beginning in Mumbai, and the company is planning to expand its 5G network across the country in phases as it tries to catch up with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. In order to facilitate this launch, Vodafone has teamed up with Nokia for the 5G equipment and has implemented an AI-based Self-Organizing Networks (SON) system to improve the network performance. The step has been taken after the company’s ₹26,000 crore capital raise through India’s biggest Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) of ₹18,000 crore and promoter’s infusion of ₹4,000 crore. Vodafone has announced that it will be spending between ₹50,000-55,000 crores over the next three years on the expansion of 5G services and improvement of 4G network coverage, with the aim of covering 90% of the population of India. Vodafone has also introduced an unlimited 5G add-on for ₹299, which it claims is the cheapest offer, although there is no time limit on when the offer will be available. The 5G market in India started in October 2022 and the two main operators are Jio with 170 million customers and Airtel with 120 million customers. However, the Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone Idea, Jagbir Singh said that the company has set its sight on providing a real 5G experience with a strong network that is based on the latest technology. Vodafone Idea’s shares opened higher on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday, gaining 4.93 per cent to ₹7.45 as at 12:30 PM IST following the announcement and touched an intraday high of ₹7.46.
Vodafone 5G Services Launch in Mumbai
