Vodafone Idea partners Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung to expand 5G to 90 more cities by May 2026
Vodafone Idea (Vi) said on Monday that it is significantly expanding its fifth-generation (5G) mobile network nationwide in 90 more cities by May 2026. This will expand its coverage footprint from 43 cities across 17 priority circles to 133 cities.
The current phase of expansion targets 15 key circles, including major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. Vi is prioritising industrial corridors, high-data consumption centers, and emerging urban clusters to maximise the impact of its infrastructure investment.
Vi said it will expand its 5G services regionally. In the North, the rollout will target major hubs in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana, including Karnal and Ludhiana, while the Eastern expansion covers West Bengal and Sikkim, specifically targeting Asansol and Gangtok.
The Western strategy strengthens existing networks in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, while notably extending into Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. In South India, the network will widen significantly across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, covering cities like Chennai and Hyderabad.
The Central expansion focuses on Madhya Pradesh with upcoming launches in Bhopal and Gwalior, prioritising industrial corridors and high-data-consumption urban clusters.
Vi said its strategy remains tethered to a data-driven approach, aligning network deployment with 5G device penetration and local demand. To maintain high-performance connectivity and energy efficiency, the telco is leveraging AI-powered Self-Optimising Networks (SON).
The company has solidified its technical backbone through partnerships with global technology vendors Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung to execute the rollout across these diverse geographies.
“This expansion to 90 more cities is in line with our strategy of prioritising 5G rollouts in key markets with higher penetration of 5G devices. With this phase of rollout, we are significantly augmenting our 5G network in Prime cities as well as deepening our tier-2 and tier-3 presence,” said Jagbir Singh, chief technology officer (CTO), Vi.
