Vodafone Idea has announced it will roll out its 5G services across all 17 of its priority telecom circles by August 2025. The operator also confirmed that its commercial 5G services will go live in Delhi NCR from 15 May, following earlier launches in Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Patna.

The company has prioritised investment in 17 of India’s 22 telecom circles—including Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and both Uttar Pradesh East and West—for several quarters now.

For the Delhi NCR launch, Vodafone Idea has partnered with Ericsson to deploy 5G infrastructure designed for energy efficiency and lightweight performance. The network will operate on a non-standalone (NSA) 5G architecture, enabling seamless handovers between 4G and 5G networks. The operator has also integrated AI-powered self-organising network (SON) technology to enhance network performance.

The rollout is part of a planned Rs 550 billion (£5.3 billion) capital expenditure over the next three years. Bengaluru and Mysuru are the next cities in line for launch, with 5G deployment underway in other key regions.

In Mumbai—the first city to receive Vodafone Idea’s commercial 5G—around 70 per cent of eligible users have already started using the service, and nearly 20 per cent of the telco’s data traffic is now being carried on the 5G network.

Vodafone Idea’s introductory 5G offer includes unlimited data for users on 5G-enabled devices, with plans starting from Rs 299 (£2.90).

Earlier this week, the company also announced that its retail footprint has expanded to 2,500 outlets across India. This includes 500 directly operated flagship Vi Stores and 2,000 partner-driven mini-stores, aimed at improving customer accessibility and support.