Bengaluru, 11th June
2025.
Leading
telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) today announced the commercial launch of 5G
services by partnering with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung) in
Bengaluru region, one of the key telecom markets in India and a global IT hub
known as the "Silicon Valley of India". Since 2024, the companies
have been working together to deploy a new generation, 5G network and modernize
Vi's legacy 2G and 4G networks with Samsung's industry-leading solutions in
major telecom circles of India including Bihar, Karnataka and Punjab[1].
As part of
this collaboration, Vi had already launched 5G commercial services in
Chandigarh and Patna in April 2025. Vi has successfully deployed Samsung’ssmall form-factor, energy-efficient and high
transmit power radios for enabling a seamless 5G experience across all the three circles. These solutions offer
increased cell capacity and energy savings features to deliver better consumer experience with greenerand
more sustainable approachesfor Vi's customers.
For this
deployment, Samsung provided its wide range of radios supporting diverse
spectrum bands, including 32T32R Massive MIMO radios, along with Radio Access
Network (RAN) solutions that encompass baseband and software functionsknown as the
virtualized Central Unit (vCU).
The companies
have also implemented the nation's first virtualized Base Station Controller
(vBSC), a key network element for 2G services, thereby modernizing its network
with cutting-edge software solutions while still ensuring legacy technology and
services are supported.
Virtualization
of networkfunctionalities enable Vi to streamline network deployment and
facilitate easier management, which results in greater efficiency, lower
operational costs, better resource allocation control, and increased customer
satisfaction. With this virtualization adoption, operators can build software-based
and flexible networks more easily, gaining a competitive edge in bringing
future networks.
Jagbir Singh,
Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Idea said: “The launch of Vi’s 5G services
in Bengaluru as well as Chandigarh and Patna, marks a key step in introducing
Samsung as a new partner in our ecosystem and towards delivering seamless,
highly reliable next-generation services to our customers. By partnering with
Samsung, our endeavor is to offer the best customer experience and provide our
customers with enhanced mobile broadband throughputs and high capacity required
in today’s digitally connected world.”
Woojune Kim,
President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics said: “India,
especially Bengaluru, stands at the forefront of the global digital
transformation, and we are proud to accompany Vi’s innovative journey in
delivering next-generation connectivity to its customers in one of the world's
most dynamic and advanced IT markets. Samsung always thinks a step ahead,
anticipating future needs of mobile operators. Through this collaboration,
Samsung is fully committed in supporting Vi to satisfy the demands of mobile
users and boost enterprise growth with our innovative spirits."