Vodafone Idea will soon launch 5G services across India. The telco has already showcased its 5G FWA (Fixed-Wireless Access) solution called Vi AirFiber at this year's Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) event. The company also confirmed that it has tested 5G networks in four circles: Maharashtra (Pune), Delhi, Punjab and Chennai.
Note that Jio and Airtel have launched 5G services in India a long time ago. And there Vodafone Idea has not yet been able to rollout 5G due to financial problems. However, VIL CEO Akshay Mundra confirmed in the Q4 investor call of the current financial year that they will start the 5G rollout in November 2024, i.e. within the next 6 months.
Mundra also said that initially they want to start this service in cities and suburbs. Because, the amount of 5G devices in these regions is relatively high. Incidentally, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already rolled out 5G services in various cities and suburbs of India.
Note that Vodafone Idea raised Rs 20,000 crore by selling shares. The company said it will use the money for capex, aimed at expanding 4G and speeding up 5G rollout.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea continues to lose customers due to the absence of 5G. The number of active users of this telco decreased from 200 million (20 crore) to 193 million (19.3 crore) in the last one year. However, the telco's ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) has grown substantially. Currently Vodafone Idea users have an average income of Rs 146, while current users of Jio and Airtel have an average income of Rs 191.7 and Rs 209 respectively.
