Vodafone Idea (Vi) 5G: Expected Launch in India, 5G Speed Test, Trials, Spectrum, and More

Vodafone Idea is also expected to launch its 5G network service in India later this year.

Vodafone Idea or Vi is one of India’s largest telecom players and continues to grapple with different challenges to compete in the market against Airtel and Jio. But that doesn’t mean Vi is going to shy away from competition, and it is equally going to be involved in India’s progress towards the 5G network in the coming months. Vi has partnered with the likes of Nokia and Ericsson to trial its 5G network, using the allocated trial spectrum in India. Vi is one of the telcos looking to bid for the 5G spectrum. Here are all the details regarding Vi 5G expected to launch, the 5G speed test and more that we know about. 

Vi 5G Expected Launch In India

As the 5G spectrum auctions are going on right now, the Telecom Ministry has confirmed that the spectrum allocation is likely to be completed by mid-August, and within a month from that, telcos can offer their 5G services in India. Vi is likely to follow the same schedule for the 5G launch in India. The telco is bidding for a 5G spectrum in different circles, and we will have more clarity on its focus once the auctions come to an end. Having said that, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has confirmed that in 2022, 5G services are going to be available in 13 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and a few more. 

Vi 5G Internet Speed

Vi has been keeping itself busy with 5G network trials since last year, and in most cases, the telco has seen encouraging results. In September last year, Vi claimed it got a peak 5G speed of 3.7Gbps in Pune, and then in November, the telco managed to get a 100Mbps average speed in a rural area in Gandhinagar. More recently, Vi tested its 5G network on a mobile handset and got a download speed of 1.2Gbps on the 5G network in Bengaluru. These speeds are significantly faster than what Vi 4G network can deliver using a 4G smartphone.

Vi 5G trials have been going for over a year, and the telco has witnessed a progressive growth in the network performance using the allotted trail 5G spectrum. Most recently, Vi conducted its 5G network trial on street furniture like electric poles, bus stands, traffic lights, etc. Vi has undertaken 5G network trials in major cities over the past few years. It is also going to conduct 5G network tests on street furniture in major cities, including the Delhi International Airport, Kandula Port in Gujarat and Bhopal. 5G trials were also done at the MG Road Metro Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka. These tests were done using 5G small cells and Nokia’s E-band MW (microwave) network. 

Vi 5G Spectrum

Vi 5G spectrum auction strategy is likely to be a mix of the mid-band frequency and focus on covering the major circles. As you might already be aware, the 5G spectrum being auctioned includes the 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequency bands. Multiple reports have confirmed that Jio has aggressively bid for the premium 700 Hz frequency, while Vi and Airtel have rounded up their network bands across the mid-band (3.2 GHz to 3.67 GHz) and the millimetre wave band (24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz). Once the spectrum auctions conclude, we will better understand which network bands Vi bid for during the 5G spectrum auctions. 

Vi 5G Latest News

Vodafone Idea Conducts 5G Trials in Bhopal, Achieves 1 Gbps of Internet Speed (August 01, 2022)

Vodafone Idea has achieved 100 Gbps of internet speed in recent 5G trials in Bhopal. The company has recently conducted a 5G small cell test in Bhopal. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has chosen 5G small cell tests for the function of street furniture in Bhopal. This will help the operator to help roll out next-generation 5G technology.