AIMA Awards Archives ~ My Mobile India

HIGHLIGHTS * Vodafone Idea maintains it will roll out its 5G network in India soon. * The telecom giant still hasn’t mentioned a specific timeline for the availability of the latest network. * Jio and Airtel, on the other hand, are rapidly expanding the 5G network in the country. Vodafone Idea will be launching 5G services in India soon, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairperson of Aditya Birla Group has reiterated. This comes after Birla mentioned this in an earlier interview in October 2022, but still, a specific timeline isn’t shared yet. Birla spoke on the AIMA Awards’ sidelines and said, “5G rollout will begin soon.” In comparison, Airtel and Jio have already covered most metros and are slowly expanding to towns nationwide with their 5G network. "I see we will continue as a country on our path of growth which has been very steady in a world of great turmoil and more uncertainty than us in the last 25 years, so I think that’s a huge positive for India and all of us from the industry have been very proud about it,” the billionaire industrialist said. Birla said that the “China+1” strategy has been playing out well in India’s favour. “That’s a fact. A lot of people who are now wanting to be in India, invest in India and be integral in the growth store,” he said. Vi 5G rollout in India The slow attitude towards the 5G rollout has cost Vi to lose subscribers steadily to its rivals, Airtel and Jio who already launched and are expanding 5G at a rapid phase. Since April 2022, the company has lost over 4.24 crore subscribers. The 12-month period ending December 2022 alone saw a customer decline of 2.42 crore. In stark contrast, Airtel and Jio are rolling out the network at a rapid phase. Both telecom networks promised to complete the 5G rollout by the end of March 2024, including towns and villages. On the other hand, Vi hasn’t made any such announcements and this could be one of the reasons for the telecom giant losing subscribers in the country. Vodafone Idea reported a net loss of Rs 7,990 crore for the 3rd quarter that ended December 31st, 2022. The company reported a net loss of Rs 7,595.5 crore in the September quarter. The total revenue stood at Rs 10,620.6 crore in the December quarter and during the period under review, which is 0.1 percent up against Rs 10,614.6 crore in the September quarter. Airtel added 0.1 million and 0.2 million active users in December 2022 in Haryana and Odisha circles, as per earlier reports . This could serve as a good indication to believe that Airtel’s subscriber base is increasing. Furthermore, the report added that Reliance Jio’s active user base increased by 3 million in December, while Airtel has managed to increase by 6 million during the same period. Vodafone Idea Close to 2 Years in Subscriber Losing Streak This subscriber loss is despite Vodafone Idea’s lucrative tariffs in the market, which no other telco is offering in India. It appears that customers are losing trust in the telco, and the quality provided by the telco is also a major reason why the telco is losing subscribers month on month. With losses mounting every quarter, the telco has not yet announced a concrete revival plan, 5G rollout or investment announcement so far. The only news customers get to hear is about the company engaging with 5G device vendors and Mobile handset support. Vodafone Idea 5G Vodafone Idea 5G Roll out will begin soon, says Kumar Mangalam Birla, according to a report by CNBC-TV18. Birla was speaking on the sidelines of the AIMA Awards. “5G rollout will begin soon,” he said. In an earlier interview in October 2022 too, Birla had said the same, but a timeline has not been shared. The Government of India has approved equity conversion upon the promises of the promotors to bring substantial investments into the company, along with rolling out 5G Services to meet license obligations. Absolutely Committed KM Birla always remained Absolutely Committed to Vodafone Idea, but nothing concrete came out anytime regarding the investments or the company’s roadmap to clear existing debts. On the other hand, while Airtel and Jio are rolling out 5G services, Vodafone Idea is maintaining its subscriber losing streak and is close to touch the two-year mark. Vodafone Idea lost over 1.3 million subscribers, most recently in January 2023, according to TRAI Data. Vodafone Idea’s VLR (Active Subscribers) percentage in January 2023 is recorded at 87.15 while the highest recorded is 99.30 of Airtel. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairperson of Aditya Birla Group, has said that Vodafone Idea will be launching its 5G services soon. Birla had said this in an earlier interview in October 2022 but a timeline has not been shared yet. Birla was speaking on the sidelines of the AIMA Awards. "5G rollout will begin soon," he said. Vodafone Idea has been losing subscribers steadily as its competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have launched 5G services already in the country. Since April 2021, the company has lost over 4.24 crore subscribers. The 12-month period ending December 2022 alone saw subscriber-base erosion of 2.42 crore. Vodafone Idea reported a net loss of Rs 7,990 crore for the third quarter that ended December 31, 2022. In the September quarter, the company posted a net loss of Rs 7,595.5 crore. In the December quarter, total revenue stood at Rs 10,620.6 crore during the period under review, up 0.1 percent against Rs 10,614.6 crore in the September quarter. Airtel has already reached 500 cities in its 5G coverage and has the target to cover urban India with 5G footprints by September this year. Jio 5G available in 406 cities and by December 2023, the company plans Pan India coverage. Under the dire needs for funds infusion, the telco is in discussions with the banks for funding. FAQ's on Vodafone 1) What is the Vi Rs 129 plan? Ans) The revised Vi plans now offer more data and access to entertainment content as well. The Rs 129 prepaid plan offers unlimited calling and 200MB data with a validity of 18 days. This recharge plan however does not come with any SMS benefits, and it is recommended for people who require unlimited calling. For more benefits, Vi’s Rs 298 prepaid plan can be opted. 2) What is the Vi Rs 298 plan? Ans) Vi has revised the Rs 298 prepaid plan with which you get 50GB of 4G data along with free access to Vi Movies and TV, premium movies, originals, news and live TV. The Vi Rs 298 prepaid plan comes with a validity of 28 days. If we compare this with Airtel, the telco offers a prepaid plan priced at Rs 299 with 2GB data per day, unlimited calls, and 100 SMS per day. It also comes with a validity of 28 days. Another offer with this plan is unlimited 5G data. In comparison to Jio’s Rs 299 plan, users get 2GB data per day, subscription to Jio Apps and 100 SMS per day. In addition to the revised plans, Vi has also launched a new Rs 181 prepaid plan that offers 30GB of data with a validity of 30 days. This prepaid plan however offers 1GB data per day and not the entire amount at once. It is also more of a booster pack so you can use this with an existing prepaid plan. So if you want more data then you can opt for this recharge plan. Also Read: Vodafone-Idea’s (Vi) Valentine’s Day offers: Get up to Rs 5GB extra Internet data for recharge of Rs 299 & above ; Avail the additional benefits Also Read: How to check Vodafone data balance

AIMA Awards

KM Birla maintains that Vodafone-Idea will roll out 5G soon: Vodafone Idea Steady Fall & Rivals Race Ahead Report