Vodafone Idea (Vi) launched its 5G services in March, starting with the Mumbai circle. In April 2025, the telco confirmed plans to expand its 5G footprint to more circles, including Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, and Punjab—bringing the total to five circles. While it’s unclear if additional regions will be added this month, Vi has already fulfilled the government’s minimum rollout obligations (MRO) for 5G. The next step is to continue deploying 5G radios and sites to better compete with Airtel and Jio.
5G at No Extra Cost
Vi is offering 5G access at no extra charge for prepaid plans priced at ₹299 or more and postpaid plans starting from ₹451. However, despite the “unlimited” branding, 5G data is capped at 300GB every 28 days.
Funding and Network Architecture
The telco is utilizing funds raised through equity to scale up capital expenditure for both 5G rollout and 4G expansion across India. Vi is deploying 5G using Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA), which runs on the existing 4G network and supports most 5G smartphones available in the country.
Early Stages of 5G Development
As Vi is still in the early phase of its 5G journey, network optimization will be an ongoing process to enhance user experience. It may take the company 1.5 to 2 years to match Jio and Airtel’s 5G coverage across India.
