The only private telco in India that appears to be falling behind in the deployment of 5G is Vodafone Idea (Vi). Jio and Airtel are among the other two carriers who have already made their 5G deployment plans public.
It was earlier stated that Vodafone Idea would shortly start 5G journey at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022. The problem with funding that Vodafone Idea is having comes up again. Akshaya Moondra, the telco’s recently appointed CEO (Chief Executive Officer), had stated that Vi was now in discussions with a number of banks to set up funding and was also speaking with vendors.
However, the telco appears to be in danger because of the unpaid bills. Currently, only Vodafone Idea is a private sector-unprofitable telecom provider in India. At IMC 2022, the telco showcased a range of application cases. The telco won’t be able to resolve the issue until it can obtain funds from financial institutions.
The telco took part in the 2022 5G spectrum auctions. With the required spectrum, Vodafone Idea plans to roll out 5G in 17 of its priority circles. Mid-band and mmWave spectrum are both available for use by Vi.
When Vi decides to roll out 5G services, 5G NSA (non-standalone) networks would also be launched. This would imply that the telco’s 5G network would probably function on the subscribers’ current 4G SIM cards. Vi runs the danger of losing customers who want to use and explore 5G as soon as it becomes available from the other carriers because its 5G plans are now unclear.
Cloud gaming for customers was one of several use cases on show at Vodafone Idea’s pavilion at the IMC 2022 in Pragati Maidan.