Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced the rollout of its 5G services in Kolkata, starting 5th September. This makes Kolkata the second city in West Bengal to get access to Vi 5G, following Siliguri’s recent launch. For users in Kolkata, 5G connectivity will be available on all compatible devices. As an introductory offer, Vi is providing unlimited 5G data on plans starting from ₹299, encouraging faster adoption among early users.
The move is part of Vi’s phased expansion strategy to bring 5G across 17 priority circles where it holds spectrum. Vi 5G services are already live in major cities, including Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Chandigarh, Patna, Nagpur, Jaipur, Sonipat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara in Gujarat; Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik in Maharashtra; and Kozhikode and Malappuram in Kerala.
To power its 5G rollout, Vi has partnered with Nokia to deploy energy-efficient infrastructure and implemented AI-powered Self-Organizing Networks (SON) to optimize network performance automatically. Alongside 5G, the operator has also upgraded its 4G network across Kolkata and the Rest of Bengal circles. This includes deploying 900 MHz spectrum on over 2,400 sites in Kolkata and 5,400 sites across the Rest of Bengal, significantly boosting indoor coverage.
Between April 2024 and June 2025, Vi added over 850 new sites across the state, resulting in a 16% capacity increase in Kolkata and 15% in the Rest of Bengal. These upgrades reflect Vi’s commitment to improving both urban and rural connectivity with faster speeds, wider coverage, and a better user experience.
Sovan Mukherjee, Business Head – Kolkata and Rest of Bengal, Vodafone Idea, said, “As we launch Vi 5G in Kolkata, we are excited to bring the future of connectivity to this City of Joy. With our next-gen 5G alongside our robust 4G services, we aim to provide more options and an enhanced experience to our users. We are committed to systematically expanding our 5G footprint across West Bengal, in line with growing demand and 5G handset adoption.”
