Vodafone Idea is following the footsteps of Bharti Airtel in refarming the 3G spectrum for 4G. The telco stated it successfully deployed 3G spectrum for 4G in Bengaluru. As part of this process, Vi refarmed 3200 sites across the entire city for 4G. However, the telco reaffirmed it would continue offering 2G services across Bengaluru. The refarming of 3G for 4G will enhance the telco's GIGAnet 4G capacity in Bengaluru. This essentially means Vodafone Idea customers in the city will only experience 2G and 4G services going forward. Vi 4G customers in Bengaluru will now be able to experience faster download speeds.
Vi to Offer 2G and 4G Services in Bengaluru
Arvind Nevatia, Cluster Head- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Vodafone Idea said, "Supplementing the existing 4G infrastructure with the deployment of another layer of 2100 MHz has brought about enhanced data speeds, besides a better indoor network experience for Vi customers in Bengaluru. We request all Vi 3G customers to visit the nearest retail outlet at the earliest to upgrade to a 4G SIM and start experiencing the full potential of Vi GIGAnet 4G”. To recall, Vi deployed 5 MHz of 900 MHz spectrum band at the end of 2019.
Furthermore, Vodafone Idea added that the existing 4G infrastructure with the refarming of 3G spectrum would receive a major boost, and allows the company to deliver better network quality, wider coverage and handle more data capacity in Bengaluru.
Telecom operators in India are slowly phasing out 3G services to match Reliance Jio. For the unaware, Bharti Airtel already phased out 3G services across the country and Vi could soon join the list. But both the GSM operators are ensuring that the customers will continue to enjoy 2G services. In other news, Vi has raised prices of its base Family postpaid plans by up to Rs 51 and the prepaid tariff hike could also happen very soon.
