Vi 5G Services to Reportedly Rollout in India in 6-7 Months

Vi CEO Akshaya Moondra reportedly said that when the telco launches 5G services, it will have a monetisation plan.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 31 January 2024 14:47 IST

Vi 5G Services to Reportedly Rollout in India in 6-7 Months

Photo Credit: Reuters

DoT has reportedly sent show cause notice to Vi for failing to meet minimum 5G rollout obligations

Highlights

Vi said to be raising external funds crucial to 5G launch
The Vi CEO, reportedly, also highlighted monetisation challenges of 5G
Vi is also planning to shut down 3G services in FY25

Vi (Vodafone Idea) has shared its plans to launch 5G services in India within six to seven months, as per a report. CEO Akshaya Moondra revealed that the telco is expecting to gain better clarity over the monetisation issue around the next-generation broadband spectrum and the company's external fundraising situation before working on the rollout of the 5G network. Recently, Vi was served a show cause notice by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) for failing to meet the minimum rollout obligations of the 5G spectrum.

According to a report by Financial Express, Moondra spoke about the 5G rollout plans during the company's quarterly earnings call for October - December. He highlighted that currently, there is no monetisation around 5G in the country. This was aimed at Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, both of which have rolled out 5G services in multiple circles but have not introduced any specific 5G tariff plans for the service yet. Vi is aiming to get a monetisation plan by the time it launches the spectrum.

He also said that the company's external fundraising is going to be a factor in rolling out the service. However, no details about it were provided, as per the report. Various sources have previously mentioned that the cash-strapped telecom operator has been trying to raise funds for some time now. “After funding plans materialise, we will need around 6-7 months to rollout 5G, and…by then monetisation will be clearer than it is today. Our strategy will be based on that,” Moondra added.

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Vi has also failed to meet the minimum rollout obligations placed by the DoT after the 5G spectrum auction. The obligation was to commercially launch 5G services in at least one metro and one non-metro circle within one year of the distribution of the spectrum, which occurred in July 2022. A separate Financial Express report recently revealed that the agency has now served a show-cause notice to the telecom operator and may levy fines.

While Vi did claim in August 2023 that it had made the minimum investments in two out of its 17 circles, it is yet to launch the 5G services commercially.

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Further reading: Vodafone Idea, Vi, 5G

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More