Vodafone Idea’s daily data usage reached 88.4 petabytes in Q1 FY27 as average consumption per 4G and 5G subscriber increased and the operator’s high-speed-data customer mix and ARPU improved.
Vodafone Idea’s (Vi) daily data usage increased nearly 28 percent year-on-year during the first quarter of FY27, supported by higher consumption among its 4G and 5G subscribers. The increase suggests improving customer engagement as Vi continues expanding its network coverage and capacity.
According to Vi’s Q1 FY27 earnings-call transcript, total data usage on its network increased from 69.1 petabytes per day in Q1 FY26 to 88.4 petabytes per day in Q1 FY27. Based on these figures, daily data usage grew approximately 27.93 percent year-on-year.
The increase in total network usage was accompanied by higher consumption among Vi’s high-speed-data customers. Average monthly data usage per 4G and 5G subscriber increased 25.2 percent year-on-year to 21.7GB.
Vi’s 4G and 5G subscriber base expanded from 127.4 million in Q1 FY26 to 130.1 million in Q1 FY27, representing an addition of 2.7 million subscribers over the year.
The share of 4G and 5G subscribers in Vi’s overall customer base improved from 64.4 percent to 67.4 percent during the same period. More than two-thirds of the operator’s customers are consequently now using its high-speed data networks.
Growth in consumption and the proportion of high-speed-data subscribers could potentially support customer retention, upgrades to higher-value packs and further revenue improvement.
Higher Data Usage and Premiumisation Lift Vodafone Idea’s ARPU
Vi’s customer ARPU increased 10.2 percent year-on-year from Rs 177 to Rs 195. The company said its customer ARPU has now increased for 20 consecutive quarters.
Vodafone Idea attributed the improvement over the past year primarily to premiumisation, its improving 4G and 5G customer mix and higher data consumption.
The operator continues to see an opportunity to improve ARPU by migrating customers from 2G to 4G and moving existing data users to higher-value offerings. Management said approximately 34 percent of its customers remain on 2G, leaving the company with a sizeable internal upgrade opportunity.
Network Expansion Supports Higher Usage
Vi added nearly 3,000 unique broadband towers during Q1 FY27 and more than 15,600 sites over the preceding 12 months. These additions helped expand its pan-India 4G population coverage to 87 percent.
Its 5G services are now available in more than 200 cities across all 17 telecom circles where the company owns 5G spectrum. At the time of the earnings call, Vi operated more than 16,000 5G sites and planned to cover another 200-plus cities over the following two quarters.
The company has placed network capital expenditure orders worth over Rs 9,000 crore. Vi said the capex covered by these orders would be deployed over the next two quarters or less. It also expects to add approximately 3,500 4G sites per month.
Wider coverage and additional network capacity could allow customers to use data services more consistently while helping Vi migrate additional users to 4G and 5G.
How Vodafone Idea Compares With Jio and Airtel
Reliance Jio reported total network data-traffic growth of 26.9 percent year-on-year during Q1 FY27. Based on the respective company disclosures, Vi’s nearly 28 percent growth was marginally higher than the rate reported by Jio.
However, Jio remained substantially ahead in absolute traffic, carrying 69.4 exabytes during the quarter. This translates to approximately 762.6 petabytes per day over the 91-day period, compared with Vi’s reported 88.4 petabytes per day.
Bharti Airtel’s India mobile data traffic grew 36 percent year-on-year to 31,062 petabytes, making Airtel the fastest-growing of the three private operators on the reported metric.
The disclosures are not completely standardised. Vi reports daily network usage, Airtel provides India mobile traffic, and Jio reports total network traffic without separately disclosing the mobile and fixed-broadband contributions. The comparisons should therefore be treated as directional.
TRAI Data Shows Continued Growth for Vi
TRAI data showed Vodafone Idea adding 2,40,114 mobile connections nationally in July 2026, extending its positive run to six consecutive months. TRAI’s mobile figures include consumer SIMs and M2M cellular connections and should not be interpreted entirely as individual consumer additions.
Vi’s rising data consumption, improving 4G and 5G subscriber mix, higher ARPU and positive connection momentum provide encouraging signs of operational progress. Sustaining this momentum will depend on the company completing its network rollout, strengthening prepaid performance and migrating more customers to high-speed data services.
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FAQs
How much data do Vi subscribers consume daily?
Vi reported average daily data usage of 88.4 petabytes in Q1 FY27.
How quickly is Vi’s data usage growing?
Daily data usage increased approximately 27.93 percent, or nearly 28 percent, from 69.1 petabytes in Q1 FY26.
How much data does an average Vi 4G or 5G subscriber use?
Average monthly data usage per 4G and 5G subscriber reached 21.7GB, representing 25.2 percent year-on-year growth.
How many 4G and 5G subscribers does Vi have?
Vi’s 4G and 5G subscriber base stood at 130.1 million in Q1 FY27, compared with 127.4 million a year earlier.
What was Vi’s ARPU in Q1 FY27?
Vi’s customer ARPU increased 10.2 percent year-on-year to Rs 195.
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