Vodafone Idea has launched 5G services in Mumbai, a significant milestone. The announcement led to a 4% surge in the company’s shares on Wednesday. The rollout aims to improve mobile experience with wide coverage at competitive prices. Vodafone Idea has collaborated with Nokia for 5G in the city and intends to gradually expand across India.
Vodafone Idea offers discounted unlimited 5G access starting at ₹299, up to 21% lower than Jio and Airtel. After Mumbai, 5G will launch in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Patna, and Mysore by April, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Chennai. Note that Jio and Airtel have completed their 5G rollout nationwide.
Despite launching 5G services, Vodafone Idea struggles with a declining subscriber base. Stabilizing these losses is crucial for its survival. In December, it lost 1.71 million users, reducing the total count to 207.25 million – more than the previous month’s 1.5 million drop, as reported by Motilal Oswal.
In the past year, Vodafone Idea raised ₹26,000 crore, with its largest contribution being ₹18,000 crore from a Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) and over ₹4,000 crore from promoters. The company plans to invest ₹50,000-₹55,000 crore in capital expenditure over the next three years while also focusing on expanding its 5G network in India. Analysts, however, remain cautious about the company’s future despite these efforts.
Vodafone Idea aims to join the satellite internet competition, unlike its rivals Jio and Bharti Airtel who have partnerships with Starlink for bringing Elon Musk’s service to India, pending government approval. However, Vodafone Idea is yet to secure any satellite internet collaborations.
Sources News From Various Digital Platforms, Websites, Journalists, And Agencies.
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