After the merger of the companies, Vodafone Idea has been on the task of consolidating its operations. However, an even bigger job for the current telecom market leader is network integration. In the past few months, Vodafone Idea has already completed network consolidation in many circles. However, another significant milestone for Vodafone Idea is the completion of radio network integration in Punjab. Vodafone Idea has also highlighted that out of all the circles, Punjab is the tenth circle to get done with network integration. In its latest release, the telecom operator has also given an update about the network conditions in Punjab and many other circles.
Vodafone Idea 4G coverage Increases to Cover Over 90% Of Population in Punjab
It is worth noting that the Vodafone Idea network integration is the world’s largest network integration initiative taken. Vodafone Idea also highlighted that even before the merger, Punjab has been a crucial market for both the companies. After this new network integration in the circle, there are a higher number of sites and larger allocation of spectrum for each brand, and the network capacity has increased leading to improved Net Promoter Score and higher download speeds for users of both brands in the circle.
The company revealed that post the integration, Vodafone Idea’s 4G coverage has increased to cover over 90% of the population across 24 Districts with 227 Towns and 10,162 villages in Punjab. To increase coverage and capacity, the operator is also deploying massive MIMO, Small Cells and TDD. Courtesy of this deployment, the Vodafone Idea customers are getting to experience enhanced 4G with 2x speeds in cities like Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Moga, Hoshiarpur etc.
As per the words of Mr Sudhir Pradhan, Business Head – Punjab, J&K and Himachal Pradesh, Vodafone Idea Ltd., “The successful consolidation of network in Punjab circle will enable nearly 11 Mn customers of Vodafone Idea to enjoy a unified network experience on 2G, 3G & 4G. We are deploying new age technologies to enhance customer experience as we are building a robust, future-ready network in Punjab.”
Vodafone Idea Following 3-Pronged Strategy for Network Integration
Vodafone Idea also added that the integration exercise is happening cluster by cluster in other circles, and the subscribers are slowly being moved to an even more enhanced network and after the integration, and they are getting to enjoy better 4G speeds.
Mr Vishant Vora, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Idea Ltd has also commented on this network integration exercise, “With meticulous pre-merger planning and rigorous post-merger execution, we have ensured that our customers remain confidently connected and enjoy uninterrupted services even as we integrate and optimize our network in a phased manner across circles. We have partnered the best of global vendors and equipment suppliers to bring the best network experience for our customers.”
The telecom market leader has also noted that a 3-pronged strategy is driving this network consolidation drive. The three points in this strategy include – make the better and dominant of the two network in the state as the anchor network, complement anchor network with the required support from the other network and further enhance network capabilities and capacity with the introduction of new technologies such as Dynamic Spectrum Re-farming (DSR), Spectrum Re-farming, M-MIMO and Small Cells.
