Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced plans to expand its 5G network to 90 additional cities by May 2026. This rollout will increase the company’s total 5G coverage footprint from 43 cities across 17 priority circles to 133 cities nationwide.
Strategic Focus
According to the announcement, Vi is utilizing a data-driven strategy for this phase of the expansion. The rollout prioritizes areas with high data consumption, emerging urban clusters, industrial corridors, and regions demonstrating a high penetration of 5G-compatible devices.
The upcoming expansion will span 15 telecom circles, including Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, UP-East, UP-West, Kolkata, and West Bengal.
Regional Rollout Plans
The geographic breakdown of the planned expansion includes the following regions:
- North India: Expansion in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, covering cities such as Karnal, Panipat, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Haridwar.
- South India: Widening network presence in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry, with rollouts planned for Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Thiruvalla, and Nilambur.
- West India: Additions to coverage in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa, and the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Target cities include Gandhidham, Bhuj, Solapur, Kolhapur, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur, Silvassa, and Daman.
- East India: Expanding access across Kolkata, West Bengal, and Sikkim, bringing 5G to Asansol, Durgapur, Darjeeling, and Gangtok.
- Central India: Increasing the footprint in Madhya Pradesh with launches slated for Bhopal and Gwalior.
Infrastructure & Partnerships
To support the network expansion and manage energy efficiency, Vi stated it is deploying AI-powered Self-Optimising Networks (SON). The operator has partnered with telecommunications equipment providers Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung to execute the network upgrades across the designated regions.
Commenting on the 5G expansion strategy, Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Vi said:
As we mark one year of Vi’s 5G journey, our focus remains on executing a phased and calibrated rollout, aligned with network readiness and evolving customer demands. This expansion to 90 more cities is in line with our strategy of prioritising 5G rollouts in key markets with higher penetration of 5G devices. With this phase of rollout, we are significantly augmenting our 5G network in Prime cities as well as deepening our Tier 2 and Tier 3 presence. We remain committed to building a robust, future-ready network that delivers enhanced customer experience and enables citizens to thrive in an increasingly digitized environment.