Vodafone Idea (Vi) has launched its 5G services in Chennai, marking a key step in its nationwide rollout. With this expansion, Vi’s 5G network is now active across all major metro cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Chennai. Last month, Vi rolled out 5G services in Punjab at the Golden Temple to support high visitor connectivity demand.
The Chennai rollout is part of Vi’s broader 5G expansion strategy, targeting 133 cities across 17 priority circles. In Tamil Nadu, the company plans to extend 5G services by May 2026 to key locations such as:
- Coimbatore
- Salem
- Tiruppur
- Vellore
- Tiruchirappalli
- Pondicherry
These regions include industrial hubs, educational centers, and high data consumption zones.
Vi Nationwide Rollout Strategy
Vi recently announced plans to expand its 5G footprint to 90 additional cities, further strengthening its presence across India. The rollout focuses on urban and semi-urban markets, industrial and commercial hubs, high-demand data usage regions, and technology and infrastructure.
To support its 5G deployment, Vi has partnered with Nokia for infrastructure development. Key technologies include:
- Energy-efficient network equipment
- AI-powered Self-Optimizing Networks (SON)
- Automated network performance management
These systems are designed to dynamically optimize network performance and improve user experience.
As part of its regional engagement, Vi has also announced a three-season sponsorship deal with Chennai Super Kings, becoming the team’s Official Communications Partner.
Sai Venkataraman, Circle Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Vi said, “We are accelerating the expansion of Vi’s 5G network across Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry, strengthening our footprint across key markets in the state. The launch in Chennai, along with our existing presence in Madurai and upcoming rollouts in cities like Coimbatore, Trichy, Salem, Tiruppur and Vellore, marks an important step in this journey. Our investments in strengthening the network, combined with the growing adoption of our Unlimited Data plans like Vi Non-Stop Hero are driving strong growth in data consumption. We remain focused on delivering a superior network experience as we bring next-generation connectivity to more customers across the circle.”
Vi 5G is now live in Chennai and will be available to additional Tamil Nadu cities and Pondicherry by May 2026.
