Vodafone Idea rolls out AI-powered 5G in India with ambitious three-year plan

Vodafone Idea’s AI-driven 5G rollout represents a strategic technological shift for India’s third-largest telecom operator. By leveraging artificial intelligence in its self-organizing network infrastructure, the company aims to efficiently deploy 5G across 17 priority circles while replacing legacy Chinese equipment, potentially reshaping its competitive position in India’s evolving telecom landscape.

The big picture: Vodafone Idea has launched commercial 5G services in Mumbai and plans rapid expansion to four additional cities by April 2025, powered by AI-based optimization technology.

• The company plans to deploy 75,000 5G sites across India over the next three years, focusing on 17 priority circles.
• Vi is replacing legacy Chinese equipment with gear from Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung as part of its network modernization strategy.

AI-powered advantage: Vi’s Chief Technology Officer highlights their AI-based self-organizing network as a key competitive differentiator in the 5G race.

• “We are using AI-based self-organising network (SON), which is actually optimising the resources of the network for the right use and right set of customers,” stated Jagbir Singh, CTO of Vodafone Idea.
• The AI implementation allows Vi to optimize network resources dynamically, potentially improving efficiency and customer experience.

Technical specifications: Vi’s initial 5G deployment uses Non-Standalone architecture with plans to trial more advanced network configurations by mid-year.

• Trial 5G speeds in Mumbai have reached up to 243 Mbps, establishing a performance baseline for the commercial service.
• The company plans to begin testing 5G Standalone (SA) architecture by mid-2025, signaling a forward-looking network evolution strategy.

Expansion timeline: Following Mumbai’s commercial launch, Vi plans to activate 5G in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Patna, and Mysore by April’s end.

• The multi-city expansion represents the first phase of Vi’s three-year 5G deployment roadmap.
• Vi is also exploring Fixed Wireless Access services, potentially diversifying its 5G offerings beyond mobile connectivity.

Future outlook: While aggressively pursuing 5G expansion, Vi acknowledges that 4G will remain its network backbone for nearly a decade.

• The company is targeting both consumer and enterprise markets, with particular interest in private 5G network opportunities.
• The 75,000 planned 5G sites suggest a measured approach compared to the nationwide deployments by competitors Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.