Vodafone Idea 5G launch: Teleco to launch mobile broadband service with aggressive price plans in March: Report | Company Business News

Telecom-major Vodafone Idea (Vi) is expected to launch its 5G mobile broadband service in March 2025, targeting aggressive price plans in efforts to win back market share from competitors, reported the news portal, the Economic Times, on Thursday, January 2. 

Vodafone is expected to launch its 5G services in the top 75 cities across the nation, reported the news portal, citing people aware of the development. According to the report, the company is looking at its 17 priority circle cities and even targeting industrial hubs as they are heavy data zones.

Vodafone Idea Ltd. shares closed 1.37 per cent higher at ₹8.13 after Thursday’s market session, compared to ₹8.02 at the previous market close.

In the Indian telecom market, Vodafone Idea (Vi) competes with Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and the state-owned BSNL.

The mobile plans are likely to be up to 15 per cent cheaper at the entry-level, a sharp discount to the current offerings by the competitors Jio and Airtel. This move is likely to trigger a price war, according to the news portal citing telco broadband tariff trackers. 

“We are gearing up to launch 5G services and are committed to providing the best experience and price,” a spokesperson for Vodafone Idea told the news portal.

The company will be able to improve its 4G coverage in the country along with introducing 5G coverage in key cities as soon as possible, as it holds sufficient and competitive 5G spectrum in its 17 priority markets, said the spokesperson cited in the news report.

Commenting on the development, a senior analyst said that the company may also “play with distribution costs.”

“Telco may increase its payouts towards dealer commissions and promotional spends to lure back high-value 5G prepaid users from its bigger rivals,” according to the analyst cited in the news report.

Vi refused to comment on the news portal’s queries on the discount of 5G plans and higher spending on dealers’ commissions. 

During the last industry tariff hikes, in July 2024, Jio and Airtel increased their minimum threshold or prices for anyone who wants to avail of 5G mobile broadband service.

They compelled the users to upgrade to higher-value base plans in a clear bid to kick off the monetisation of the next-generation mobile broadband service, according to the report.

Vodafone Idea’s chief executive officer Akshaya Moondra earlier had indicated that the company may keep its 5G base price lower than the industry rivals, noted the news report.

(LiveMint couldn’t independently verify the report.)