Vodafone Idea aims to consolidate 4G coverage expansion in Bengal before 5G rollout: Official

Leading telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Tuesday outlined its strategy to consolidate its position in the Kolkata and Rest of Bengal (RoB) circles by enhancing its 4G network footprint, focusing on digitalisation, and expanding its retail presence.

Naveen Singhvi, Business Head, Bengal and North East at Vodafone Idea, said the company is prioritising 4G network expansion to cater to growing data consumption needs before rolling out 5G.

“We believe customer experience is key, and 4G has more use cases today. While 5G is on our roadmap, we are currently focused on strengthening 4G infrastructure. After consolidation, we will start 5G,” Singhvi said.

Citing the Opensignal report, he claimed that Vodafone Idea leads in all consumer experience parameters, including data, voice, video, and gaming on the 4G network in these two circles.
While competitors are accelerating 5G rollouts, Singhvi stated that Vodafone Idea has a firm strategic roadmap for 5G.

He, however, declined to provide a specific timeline for the Kolkata or Bengal circles.
Sikkim comes under the Bengal telecom circle.

In its Q1FY'25 earnings call, Vodafone Idea had indicated that its 5G rollout is expected to begin in the January-March quarter of FY'25, starting with Mumbai and Delhi.

Vodafone Idea has invested Rs 17,695 crore in capital expenditure in the Kolkata and RoB circles since inception. The company operates on the 918, 2100, and 2500 MHz spectrum bands.

Singhvi further highlighted that the company plans to add 1,000 new sites across Kolkata and Bengal circles by February-March 2025, which will also support future 5G upgrades.

The telecom operator currently has 4,175 sites in Kolkata and 8,371 in the RoB circle. The addition of 1,000 new sites is expected to significantly improve network coverage.

On the retail front, Vodafone Idea plans to add 9 new large-format stores in Kolkata over the next two months, increasing its existing network of 36 company-owned large-format stores in the city.

“This expansion comes after a significant pause post-pandemic. We are also committed to enhancing customer reach through our 77 franchise stores and a deep rural distribution network, which includes over 300 V-shops run by distributors to serve rural customers,” Singhvi said.

Singhvi said that the company is currently focusing on customer acquisition with aggressive plans and improved network experience. In the next fiscal, the focus will shift towards improving average realisation in both circles.