Vodafone Idea to Launch 5G in 75 Cities, Targets Market Reclaim with Cheaper Plans: Report

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is preparing to enter the 5G mobile broadband market in March 2025 with ‘aggressively priced plans‘ aimed at reclaiming customers from Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which already dominate the 5G landscape. Vi plans to initially focus on 75 major cities across its 17 priority circles, targeting both urban and industrial zones known for high data consumption, ET reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

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Also Read: Prices Need Further Uptick to Generate Reasonable Returns: Vodafone Idea

Aggressive Pricing Strategy

Vi is expected to price its entry-level 5G plans up to 15 percent lower than those of Jio and Airtel, potentially sparking a price war, according to the report. CEO Akshaya Moondra, during the recent earnings call, hinted that final pricing decisions would be made closer to launch, aligning with Vi’s strategy to attract price-sensitive customers and stem subscriber losses.

“We are gearing up to launch 5G services and are committed to providing the best experience and price,” a Vi spokesperson reportedly said. The company would be able to further enhance its 4G coverage and introduce 5G in key cities at the earliest as it holds sufficient and competitive 5G spectrum in its 17 priority markets, the spokesperson added.

According to the report, Vi did not comment on queries regarding the prospects of discounted 5G plants and higher spending on dealer commissions.

Also Read: Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio in Q2FY25: A Snapshot of ARPU and Subscribers

Network Expansion

Vi recently closed Rs 30,000 crore worth of deals with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung for 4G and 5G network upgrades. The telco is accelerating the deployment of 5G base stations, aiming for 75,000 sites over three years, using a combination of 3.5 GHz and 1,800 MHz spectrum bands for its initial rollouts.