Vodafone Idea

Vodafone Idea Limited d/b/a Vi (pronounced /wiː/) is an Indian telecom operator with its headquarters based in Mumbai and Gandhinagar.[11][12] It is a pan-India integrated GSM operator offering 2G, 4G, 4G+,VoLTE, and VoWiFi services.[13]

Vodafone Idea Limited
TypePublic
ISININE669E01016
IndustryTelecommunications
Predecessors
Founded31 August 2018 (31 August 2018)
HeadquartersMumbai (Corp.)[2][3]
Gandhinagar (Reg.)
Key people
Kumar Mangalam Birla
(Chairman)
Ravinder Takkar
(CEO)[4]
ProductsMobile telephony
Wireless broadband
Internet services
Revenue ₹45,996.80 crore (US$6.4 billion) [5] (2020)
₹−62,152.30 crore (US$−8.7 billion) [5] (2020)
₹−73,878.10 crore (US$−10 billion) [5] (2020)
Total assets ₹226,919.60 crore (US$32 billion) [6] (2020)
Total equity ₹5,979.90 crore (US$840 million) [6] (2020)
Owners
[7]
Members271.8 million[8]
(30 September 2020)
Number of employees
13,520 (2019)[9]
SubsidiariesYOU Broadband Limited[10]
Websitewww.myvi.in

As of 30 November 2020, Vodafone Idea has a subscriber base of 289.9 million,[8] making it third largest mobile telecommunications network in India and sixth largest mobile telecommunications network in the world.[14]

On 31 August 2018, Vodafone India merged with Idea Cellular, to form a new entity named Vodafone Idea Limited. Vodafone currently holds a 45.1% stake in the combined entity and Aditya Birla Group holds a 26% stake.[14] Kumar Mangalam Birla heads the merged company as the Chairman.[15] Ravinder Takkar, Ex-CEO of Vodafone Romania is the current CEO of the company.[4]

On 7 September 2020, Vodafone Idea unveiled its new brand identity, 'Vi' which involves the integration of the company's erstwhile separate brands 'Vodafone' and 'Idea' into one unified brand.[16][17][18]

History

It was announced in March 2017 that Idea Cellular and Vodafone India would merge. The merger got approval from Department Of Telecommunications in July 2018. On 30 August 2018, National Company Law Tribunal gave the final nod to the Vodafone-Idea merger [19] The merger was completed on 31 August 2018, and the newly merged entity was named Vodafone Idea Limited.[20][21][14] The merger created the largest telecom company in India by subscribers and by revenue. Under the terms of the deal, the Vodafone Group holds a 45.2% stake in the combined entity, the Aditya Birla Group holds 26% and the remaining shares will be held by the public.[14] Vodafone Idea lost a significant number of gross and active subscribers in the month of August 2020 after the merger.[22]

Until 7 September 2020, Vodafone Idea Limited operated two separate brands:[23]

Vodafone – a postpaid & Prepaid GSM service.[24][25]
Idea – a prepaid GSM service, similar to Vodafone Prepaid.[24][25]

Vodafone Idea also provides services including Mobile payments, IoT, enterprise offerings and entertainment, accessible via both digital channels as well as on-ground touch points, centres across the country.[26] Vodafone Idea has a broadband network of 340,000 sites, distribution reach of 1.7 million retail outlets.[26]

Network

Spectrum frequency holding summary

Vodafone Idea Limited owns spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands across the country.[27]

Telecom circle coverage E-GSM/ FD-LTE
900MHz
Band 8		 GSM / FD-LTE
1800MHz
Band 3		 UMTS / FD-LTE
2100MHz
Band 1		 TD-LTE
2300MHz
Band 40		 TD-LTE
2500MHz
Band 41
Delhi
Mumbai
Kolkata
Chennai
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Gujarat
Karnataka
Maharashtra & Goa
Tamil Nadu
Haryana
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Punjab
Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh (East)
Uttar Pradesh (West)
West Bengal
Assam
Bihar & Jharkhand
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh
North East
Odisha

This table contains Vodafone Idea (merged entity) radio frequency details because they had integrated their networks with each other and using one anchor network for both brands in all respective telecom circles. For example, Idea has started 4G services in Delhi and Kolkata telecom circle from May 2018 where the Vodafone is anchor network vice versa Vodafone has Started 4G services in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir telecom Circle's where Idea is Anchor network. .[28][29]

Network consolidation

By March 2019, Vodafone Idea Limited announced its network consolidation across major circles, easing network issues faced by consumers and also enhancing its 4G coverage. Announcements of Network Consolidation were made as below

Enhanced Unified(2G,3G,4G) coverage details

State No of Towns Covered No of Villages Covered Coverage area %/kms
Haryana[30] 145 6520 99.5%
ROWB[31] 878 37585 97%
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh[32] 664 53130 60%
Jammu and Kashmir[33] 110 3301
AP & Telangana[34] 391 19700 92.5%
Bihar & Jharkhand [35] 431 43503 79%
HP[36] 59 11929
NESA & Assam [37] 439 17850 41%

Enhanced LTE(4G) coverage details

State No of Towns Covered No of districts Covered No of Villages Covered Population %
Haryana[30] 137 22 76.08%
ROWB[31] 838 27 78%
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh [32] 633 77 52%
Jammu and Kashmir[33] 48 9 526 23.6%
AP & Telangana [34] 381 23 8500 67%
Bihar & Jharkhand[35] 343 56 19931 45.3%
HP[36] 45 8 6082 43%
NESA & Assam [37] 340 83 4200 70%
Punjab[38] 227 24 10162 90%

Punjab network consolidation

Vodafone Idea Ltd., India’s leading telecom service provider announced the successful consolidation of its radio network integration in Punjab service area. With this, Punjab is among the first ten circles to complete integration in the world’s largest network integration exercise which is currently underway in India.[39]

Rajasthan network consolidation Vodafone Idea Ltd., India’s leading telecom service provider announced the successful consolidation of its radio network integration in Rajasthan service area. With this, Rajasthan is amongst the first eleven circles to complete integration in the world’s largest network integration exercise which is currently underway in India.

According to the telecom regulator's data, the pan India wireless subscriber base of Vodafone Idea at the end of March 2019 stood at 394.8 million. The statement on network consolidation in Punjab, said 4G services have been enhanced for both Vodafone and Idea customers in cities including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Moga, and Hoshiarpur. And in Rajasthan Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, Ajmer, Udaipur among others.[40]

Massive MIMO

Vodafone Idea deployed technologies such as massive MIMO, small cells, TDD sites to enhance coverage and network capacity in Mumbai and Delhi during March. As part of the modernisation exercise, the company deployed more than 5000 massive MIMO, small cells and TDD sites across Church gate, Prabhadevi, Pali hill, Lokhandwala, Versova, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Bandra and Dadar among other regions[41] The company also deployed more than 4,000 Massive Mimo, small cells and TDD sites across the New Delhi and NCR region.[42]

Turbo-net

Vodafone Idea has launched "TurboNet" 4G services in select cities of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Rest of Bengal (including Kolkata) circles. The launch of TurboNet 4G follows the consolidation of its radio network integration and the deployment of technologies such as Dynamic Spectrum Re-farming (DSR), Spectrum Re-farming, M-MIMO, L900, TDD, and Small Cells to further boost network capacity and coverage across large parts of the country.[43]

Wifi Hotpsot

Vodafone idea Provides wifi hotpsot services in major cities Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore with 200 and more location's, it is currently available for only Vodafone brand customer's [44]

Subsidiaries

YOU Broadband

YOU Broadband (wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Idea)[45] offers fixed line broadband (FTTH) and voice services (VoIP) in major cities of India which includes Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kakinada, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Navsari, Powai, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Thane, Vadodara, Valsad, Vapi, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.[46]

See also

References
  1. "Vodafone India and Idea Cellular successfully merged". Telecom Talk. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  2. investor-relations, Vodafone Idea Limited
  3. investor support, Vodafone Idea Limited
  4. Vodafone Idea CEO resigns
  5. "Vodafone Idea Limited Consolidated Profit & Loss account, Vodafone Idea Limited Financial Statement & Accounts". www.moneycontrol.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  6. "Vodafone Idea Limited Consolidated Balance Sheet, Vodafone Idea Limited Financial Statement & Accounts". www.moneycontrol.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  7. "Axiata Share Holdings Pattern". Live Mint.com. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  8. "Q2-Report-FY 2020-21 By Vodafone Idea Limited" (PDF). 6 August 2020.
  9. "Vodafone Idea Annual Results 2020". vodafoneidea.com.
  10. "About us". You Broadband Limited. 29 June 2019.
  11. "India's Idea Cellular Will Use Nokia's Cloud Core". SDxCentral. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  12. "Vodafone Mini Stores in Mumbai Will Now Facilitate Tata Power Bill Payments via M-Pesa e-wallet - MySmartPrice News". MySmartPrice. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  13. https://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-idea-wifi-calling-service/317110/
  14. "Disclosure under Regulation 30 of SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015" (PDF). BSE. BSE. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  15. "Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman | Vodafone Idea Limited". www.vodafoneidea.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  16. "Vodafone Idea re-brands itself 'Vi'". The Indian Express. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  17. Vodafone Idea Limited, Vi. "Vodafone and Idea brands are now "Vi"" (PDF).
  18. "Vodafone Idea rebrands itself, to go by brand name Vi". Zee News. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  19. Parbat, Kalyan; Sengupta, Devina (31 August 2018). "NCLT gives go-ahead to Idea-Vodafone merger". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  20. "Idea approves merger with Vodafone India, to create India's largest telco". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  21. Kurup, Rajesh (20 March 2017). "Idea Cellular board approves merger with Vodafone India; shares tank 9%". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  22. "Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Add Subscribers In August, Vodafone Idea Lags". BloombergQuint. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  23. Writer, Staff (7 September 2020). "Vodafone and Idea are now 'Vi'". Livemint. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
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  27. Pan India Telecom Spectrum holding chart 2020 (updated), Only Tech, retrieved 30 October 2019
  28. Idea Cellular 4G Services Now Live in Delhi With Vodafone Network, Telecom Talk, retrieved 15 July 2018
  29. Idea to launch VoLTE in March, inks 4G ICR agreement with Vodafone, ET Telecom, retrieved 15 July 2018
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  31. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone Idea completes radio network consolidation in rest of West Bengal - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
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  34. Bureau, Our. "Vodafone Idea completes radio network consolidation in AP & Telangana". @businessline. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  35. Dua, Priyanka (24 February 2019). "Vodafone Idea radio network integration in Bihar, Jharkhand". Gizbot. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  36. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone Idea completes radio network consolidation in Punjab - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  37. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone Idea completes radio network consolidation in NESA & Assam - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
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  39. "Vodafone Idea Successfully Completes Radio Network Consolidation In Punjab". Communications Today. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
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  41. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone Idea deploys 5,000 Massive MIMO, small cells, TDD sites in Mumbai - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  42. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone Idea deploys 5G-ready sites in Delhi NCR - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  43. www.ETTelecom.com. "Vodafone-Idea ups 4G speeds via network up-gradation in many cities - ET Telecom". ETTelecom.com. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  44. www.vodafone.in. "Vodafone-Idea wifi hotspot services". vodafone.in. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  45. Parbat, Kalyan (12 September 2019). "Vodafone Idea looks to bundle broadband with top 4G plans". The Economic Times. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  46. www.youbroadband.in. "Vodafone-Idea Wholly owned subsidiary You Broadband". youbroadband.in. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
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