Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced a significant expansion of its fifth-generation (5G) network across West Bengal and neighboring regions, building on its initial rollouts in Kolkata and Siliguri last year.
According to the company, Vi 5G services have recently gone live in Malda, Haldia, and Berhampur. The operator is currently working to extend coverage to an additional seven cities, including Durgapur, Asansol, Habra-Ashoknagar, Burdwan, Kharagpur, Gangtok, and Darjeeling, with a target completion date by the end of June.
Strategic Market Prioritization
The expansion strategy targets a mix of high-data-consumption zones, industrial centers, and prominent tourism hubs. By extending its network infrastructure to these specific locations, Vi aims to capture growing data demand in distinct economic sectors:
Industrial & Commercial Hubs: Key industrial centers such as Durgapur and Asansol, alongside major port and commercial zones like Haldia and Kharagpur, are being prioritized to support regional business infrastructure.
Tourism & Regional Markets: Major travel destinations, including Darjeeling and Gangtok (Sikkim), are included in the immediate rollout schedule to address the fluctuating network demands driven by tourism.
Urban Clusters: Densely populated residential and emerging commercial areas like Habra-Ashoknagar, Berhampur, Malda, and Burdwan are also part of the footprint expansion.
Supporting Regional Digital Infrastructure
The phased network deployment is designed to strengthen the region’s broader digital infrastructure. By scaling up high-speed data availability in these high-potential markets, the operator intends to provide the connectivity required for large-scale digital transformation and to support sustained economic growth across West Bengal’s primary commercial corridors.
Commenting on the expansion, Sovan Mukherjee, Business Head – Kolkata, Rest of Bengal, Assam, and North-East, Vodafone Idea, said:
We are accelerating the expansion of Vi’s 5G network across West Bengal, as we strengthen our footprint across key markets in the region. Following our earlier launches in Kolkata and Siliguri, our rollouts in Malda, Haldia and Behrampur followed by Durgapur, Asansol, Habra-Ashoknagar, Burdwan, Kharagpur, Gangtok, and Darjeeling mark important steps in our journey. Our expansion is guided by a clear focus on prioritising high demand locations spanning high data consumption centres as well as areas with significant footfall including industrial, commercial and tourism hubs, ensuring a consistent and enhanced network experience for our users.
Source: https://www.fonearena.com/blog/483372/vi-5g-west-bengal-expansion.html
