Vodafone Idea, a prominent player in the Indian telecommunications industry, has unveiled its strategy to enter the 5G arena at the India Mobile Congress (IMC). Concurrently, its formidable competitors, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, have also disclosed their plans to further enhance their high-speed telecom networks.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, a significant stakeholder in Vodafone Idea, stated that the company is preparing to invest in expanding its 4G network and commence the groundwork for 5G implementation in compliance with government directives. The Indian government holds a substantial stake of nearly 33% in Vodafone Idea. Birla, who also serves as the chairman of Aditya Birla Group, emphasized that Vodafone Idea is committed to realizing the government’s vision of establishing a robust supply chain in vital and emerging areas, such as Open RAN (Radio Access Network). He stated, “India’s digital ecosystem stands on the brink of unprecedented growth.”
Akash Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Jio, proudly announced that his company has achieved the world’s fastest rollout of 5G mobile telephony, deploying a 5G cell every 10 seconds. He expressed the company’s commitment to ending digital exclusion in India and praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in fostering India’s digital public infrastructure, which has gained global recognition. Ambani further revealed that Jio’s 5G rollout is backed by an indigenous 5G stack that was designed, developed, and manufactured locally. He highlighted the transformative potential of 5G, which is expected to generate new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Sunil Mittal, the chief of Airtel, revealed that his company had launched 5G services the previous year and had already covered 5,000 towns and cities, in addition to 20,000 villages. Airtel’s collaboration with the Universal Services Obligation Fund has been instrumental in connecting rural and remote areas, and the company plans to employ satellite technology to connect all regions. Mittal also mentioned the OneWeb Satellite communication service, in which Bharti Enterprises is the largest shareholder, and its readiness to connect all parts of the country starting next month.
Lieutenant General SP Kochhar, the Director-General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), emphasized the importance of ensuring that telecom companies receive a share of the returns generated by tech companies through mobile networks, which will enable them to smoothly execute their 5G expansion plans.