Search results for: “Vodafone”

Vodafone India And Idea Merger: New Leadership Team Announced

Vodafone India Plc and Idea Cellular India have announced the completion of the merger. Post the merger, the top-level management will see a shakeup and the two telcos will join hands to take on the rising popularity of Reliance Jio. Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla will be the Non-Executive Chairman of the merged Company. The new CEO will be Balesh Sharma, the current Vodafone COO.

Vodafone Group Chief Executive, Vittorio Colao, and Aditya Birla Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla have said:

We are pleased to announce the proposed management team for the new company to be created through the merger of Vodafone India and Idea. The team has extensive operational experience and is an excellent blend of expertise from both companies.

We look forward to the completion of the merger and competing as one company in the marketplace.

My Vodafone App

According to a report, Vodafone and Idea will together invest about Rs. 60,000 crore in the next three years to upgrade its infrastructure. Both the companies will invest up to Rs 14,000 crore on capital expenditure. Bharti Airtel is miles ahead of the two companies when it comes to investment this year. Bharti Airtel is already spending around Rs 22,000 crore on capex for its India wireless business. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd’s spend on infrastructure has been higher this year.

A recent relief for the Indian telecom industry announced by the Government will also help this merger. The two companies will be able to retain spectrum in key markets and then significantly boost cashflows. More details about the merger will follow.

March 22, 2018
Vodafone And Flipkart Offering 4G Smartphones At A Starting Price Of Rs. 999

The internet is a boon, and it needs to be more accessible. Ever since the advent of Reliance Jio, internet consumers in India have been rapidly increasing. After Airtel jumped the entry-level 4G smartphone bandwagon, Vodafone is next in line. The company had earlier launched the Itel A20 Android smartphone at an ‘effective price’ of just Rs. 1,590. Now, it is offering substantial cashback on a select range of Android smartphones sold via Flipkart as part of a #MyFirst4GSmartphone scheme.

These entry-level smartphones will be available from just Rs 999 without exchange after all the applicable cashback and discount offers are applied. A comprehensive list of all the eligible smartphones has not been released. However, there is a report that claims that the list includes the iVoomi Me4, iVoomi i1, iVoomi i1S, Yu Yunique 2 and Yu Yunique 2 Plus, among others. As the campaign picks up the pace, more smartphones will be added.

So, How Do You Get A Smartphone For Rs. 999?

Rs. 999 is not the upfront amount you will have to pay for a smartphone. According to the terms of the deal, all new and existing Vodafone subscribers who purchase one of the select smartphones from Flipkart will need to recharge their prepaid accounts with a minimum of Rs. 150 per month for 36 months to be eligible for the cashback offers.

Users who follow these instructions will receive a cashback worth Rs 900 after the first 18 months and another Rs 1,100 will be credited at the end of the 36-month period. This means that at the end of the three-year period, users will get cashback worth Rs. 2000.

It is worth noting that the cashback will be credited to the subscribers’ M-Pesa wallets. However, users won’t be tied down to using the cashback money on just Vodafone recharges.

Are you excited about this offer from Vodafone and Flipkart? Let us know in the comments below!

January 24, 2018
Reliance Jio, Airtel, Idea And Vodafone Working On Making Networks 5G Ready

Major telcos in India are future proofing their networks by working on the next big thing in the telecom industry, 5G. We had earlier reported that the government of India wants to be a big player in the 5G industry and take adequate steps earlier on in order to not fall behind in the 5G race. Now, major telcos like Airtel, Relieance Jio and more are preparing to introduce massive MIMO technology into their respective networks. The 5G technology is expected to be rolled out by 2020 and the massive MIMO technology is considered to be a key component in enabling 5G.

Massive MIMO, or massive multiple input multiple output, increases capacity of a base station by five to seven times and reduces interference substantially, in turn boosting the transmission signal to the devices. This means that a consumer using voice and data, will get data speed which can be between 30 MBPS and 35 MBPS on average. These speeds can go up to 50MBPS during peak time. Comparatively, depending on one’s 4G data provider and plan, the mobile internet speed varies from 4 MBPS to 16 MBPS on paper.

It is fair to say that 5G data is still a few years away as India has barely adopted 4G in its full capacity. Director of Technology at Vodafone India says:

While 5G is still may be a few years away, we are bringing some of 5G technologies like massive MIMO into 4G and applying them. We are conducting trials of this technology. It is very futuristic in 5G, but we are using it in 4G.

Airtel has already begun the first round of deployment of the technology in Bangalore and Kolkata and will expand to other cities like Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Reliance Jio on the other hand, is currently running trials of massive MIMO technology with Chinese gear maker ZTE. Idea as well, which now has a pan India 4G network is working on bring massive MIMO technology on 4G in India.

The Indian government has also acknowledged that bringing 5G to India is a priority. For this objective, the ministries of telecom, information and technology, and science and technology have been included in the forum. A budget of Rs 500 crore is set aside for research and development of 5G technology by the government.

October 9, 2017
Vodafone Launches 4G Services in Mumbai

After launching 4G services in NCR last week, Vodafone has today announced the roll-out of its high-speed 4G services in prominent business and residential corridors of Mumbai across the Western suburbs and South Mumbai in a phased manner. The roll-out will be complete by the end of next month as had been earlier revealed by Vodafone.

Vodafone has revealed that all existing customers can move to 4G plans at the same price as their existing 3G plans. The Vodafone 4G network in Mumbai is built on an 1800 MHz band and will enable Vodafone 4G customers to gain access to the service across a range of smart devices including Mobile Wi-Fi and dongles.

Speaking at the launch, Sunil Sood, Managing Director and CEO, Vodafone India said, “We are delighted to launch our high-speed 4G services in Mumbai for our customers to experience the most advanced wireless broadband experience available across the globe today. Vodafone’s global expertise and experience of launching 4G across 19 countries gives us a better understanding of this technology and need of the 4G customer. Initial response from customers who have experienced 4G services in Kerala, Karnataka, Kolkata, Delhi and NCR has been positive and encouraging. As a steadfast partner of Digital India, we remain focused on deploying multiple technologies – 2G, 3G or 4G for optimum use as each technology has its own vital role to play in servicing the myriad connectivity needs of consumers across the country. ”

February 10, 2016
Vodafone 4G to Launch in Mumbai and Bangalore Next Week

About a month ago, Vodafone revealed plans of rolling out 4G services in major cities of India. This was followed by 4G internet soon being made available in Delhi and NCR. Now the company has announced dates of when it will be available in Bangalore and Mumbai.

Vodafone will launch 4G services in Mumbai on the 10th of February and in Bangalore on 11th of February. Vodafone is also planning on home delivering 4G-ready SIMs to its premium high-value customers in Mumbai, and formal communication for it is already being sent out. The launch in Mumbai will be in phases starting with South Mumbai.

Currently, Vodafone is offering data packs ranging from 35 MB which costs Rs. 11, going up to Rs. 2,499 for 20 GB in Delhi and NCR. It has also become country’s first network provider to provide 4G international roaming in the UK, Romania, Spain and Netherlands. Vodafone, one of the biggest network operators of India, also has big plans like introducing 5G in countries like Australia by 2020. But let’s see if it manages to overcome the 4G hurdle first.

February 5, 2016
Vodafone Launches 4G Services in Delhi and NCR

After successfully launching its 4G services in Kerala, Karnataka and Kolkata, Vodafone has now announced the release of its next-generation 4G network in Gurgaon, soon to be followed by Delhi and the NCR in regular phases.

Running on an 1800 MHz band of the spectrum, the service can be used on all smartphones with 4G support, and will make the overall experience of downloading and streaming media efficient and enjoyable. The 4G Mobile Wi-Fi would support connectivity for up to 10 devices.

The company also has a series of offers up its sleeve that include high-speed 4G SIMs, but also free 4G upgrade for those already using Vodafone SIMs. Users can enjoy up to 3 months of access to free television, movies and music on Vodafone Play as part of their Vodafone 4G subscription. Vodafone Music, HOOQ, an on-demand video service, and Hungama Play, are some of the other services users would be able to avail as part of their subscription.

Currently, Vodafone is offering data packs ranging from 35 MB which costs Rs. 11, going up to Rs. 2,499 for 20 GB. The company is also offering door-step delivery of postpaid 4G SIMs for requests that are received before 4 PM on the day the request is made. Vodafone has also become country’s first network provider to provide 4G international roaming in the UK, Romania, Spain and Netherlands.

February 3, 2016
Vodafone to Start Roll-Out of 4G Ready SIMs in Delhi & NCR

After treating its loyal customers in Australia with the news of 5G launch in the country by 2020, Vodafone brings some much-needed love to its customers here in India. Vodafone India has revealed that it will from today start the upgrade of SIMs to the next generation 4G ready SIMs in Delhi.

Vodafone which has already launched its high-speed 4G services in Kerala on a trial basis, will continue to roll out 4G services to major metros by March 2016. As Vodafone India enters the final stages of bringing 4G network to the country’s capital, it announced the availability of 4G SIMs for its customers at Vodafone stores across the city.

Adding incentive to the already sweet deal, Vodafone has informed that customers who are upgrading to 4G-Ready SIMs will be rewarded with free 1GB 4G internet, at the time of launch. All they need to do is send a short SMS “GO4G” to 199.

Needless to say, to make the magic work, customers will need a 4G ready phone along with a 4G SIM at the time of the launch.

This upgrade before the launch is being done to ensure a smooth, seamless and hassle-free transition from older generation tech to 4G when the service finally arrives in the market. A formal announcement regarding the launch, which is expected soon, will be made in due course.

“Before we step into the next generation of telecommunications, we want to make the transition to 4G to be smooth and seamless for our 10 million customers in Delhi & NCR. We want them to be 4G-ready so that they can start experiencing the benefits of high-speed mobile internet services as soon as they are launched commercially. Hence, this facility to upgrade to 4G-ready SIMs in advance. We are excited and fully geared up to launch our 4G services on the superior 1800 MHz band in Delhi & NCR very soon,” said Apoorva Mehrotra, Business Head–Delhi & NCR, Vodafone India.

Along the lines of what it had earlier promised to customers in Mumbai, Vodafone is also making arrangements for home delivery of 4G-ready SIMs to its premium customers across Delhi & NCR region. A formal communication is being sent out to all these customers with details of the initiative

January 21, 2016
Australia to Have 5G Network by 2020, Says Vodafone

We all know that 5G is the next big thing. We are also aware that the speeds 5G promises will be massive. While many countries still try to have an established 4G network, including India, Australia is one country which wants to stay ahead of the pack. According to Vodafone, Australia will likely have 5G mobile network by 2020.

The development of the fifth-generation mobile network has invited a number of eager investors. After all, the next-gen network promises supremely fast speeds and will be the guiding factor for everything from ‘Internet of Things’ to driverless cars.

Vodafone’s Australian chief Benoit Hanssen believes Australia will be among the first countries to have 5G network by 2020. “Australia adopted the smartphone enthusiastically — smartphone penetration is one of the highest in the world,” he said. “There is a readiness to adopt new things, and you have a population that can largely afford to adopt new things. We do think that as 5G comes out, Australia will be there.”

Indeed, Australia has embraced 4G greatly with almost 70% of Vodafone customers on 4G phones. Hanssen expects the figure to cross 90% this year. 5G is all set to break speed records if the tests have anything to show for it. In 2015, British scientists claimed they broke speed records during tests of 5G data connections, reaching one terabit per second. According to the BBC, with such a speed, it “would be theoretically possible to download a file 100 times the size of a feature film in about three seconds.”

Spectrums have and continue to be the main reason behind the delay of not only 5G but 4G as well. In fact, many countries still face a lack of 3G connectivity. The release of spectrum is being negotiated globally. We wonder how long it takes before we can even begin talking about 5G in India, which is still being introduced to 4G network slowly.

January 20, 2016
Vodafone to Soon Roll Out 4G services in Major Indian Cities

India’s second largest telecom operator, Vodafone, has revealed plans to roll out 4G services in major cities including Delhi, and Mumbai by end of March, 2016. The Britain based operator, which has one of the widest network in terms of reach in an official statement communicated,”Vodafone has already launched its high speed 4G services in Kerala. The intensity of its roll-out will continue with major metros like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi to be launched by March 2016″

In a bid to showcase it’s superior customer service, it has already started to issue 4G ready SIM cards in Mumbai. Vodafone India Business Head Mumbai, Ishmeet Singh said,

“The company is fully geared up to launch 4G services in 1800 Mhz band in Mumbai very soon. We want our customers to be 4G-ready so that they can start experiencing the benefits of high-speed mobile Internet services as soon as they are launched commercially. Hence, this facility to upgrade to 4G-ready SIMs in advance”

Vodafone is also planning on home delivering 4G-ready SIMs to its premium high-value customers in Mumbai, and formal communication for it is already being sent out.

January 6, 2016
Vodafone’s 4G Finally Gets Launched in the Country

Vodafone is finally giving out an upgrade to 4G connection for its customers, along with a ‘Superfast 4G SIM’. They have also introduced a trial pack of 120MB for Rs.29 along with a 100% extra data for all 4G RED customers for 3 months. Vodafone’s 4G is claiming to support connectivity of WiFi for up to 10 devices and also promises to simplify the customer’s experience with a ‘same day doorstep’ post-paid delivery system and instant activation for those who want to change their SIM.

For a more detailed understanding of what the Vodafone 4G platform entails, we can tell you that the 4G LTE network runs on an 1800Mhz speed and can be accessed via any 4G enabled handsets available across the country. It will be launched in Kochi on the 14th of December 2015, making it the first telecom operator in Kerala to offer 2G/3G/4G services on its own convergent radio technology.

“Vodafone’s global expertise and experience of launching 4G across 19 countries gives us a better understanding of this technology and the needs of the 4G customer.” – says Sunil Sood MD & CEO of Vodafone, India.

Vodafone will initially roll out its 4G services in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru and Kolkata. We all know that Vodafone is slightly late in the 4G scene, with Airtel currently in the lead. But, all the hype surrounding its delay and it finally seeing the light of day should be able to get the amount of traffic it is looking for. Let us hope that Vodafone is able to resolve all its issues ranging from call-drops to the late entry of 4G soon.

December 8, 2015
Vodafone 4G LTE Launch All Set For December in Five Circles

4G LTE is finally rolling out full swing in the country, after Airtel and Reliance Jio, Vodafone is finally aiming to launch 4G connections in December. As of now, it seems to be focusing on IT strong circles such as Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Kerala and Kolkata. These are the places that they have identified as being most adaptable to a SIM change from 3G to 4G. As far as the question about equipment comes in; they will be using Ericsson and Swedish made Nokia equipment to launch the 4G SIMs.

Vodafone acquired the spectrum for these circles in January of 2015, and the delay has been due to implementation of equipment due to strong laws in the above said circles.

However, Airtel already has coverage in 330 towns and Reliance Jio aiming to be the market leader for 4G in India; it is to be seen as to how Vodafone will capture the market.

Reliance is aiming for low price 4G data implementation early 2016 aiming to charge subscribers of Jio as low as Rs 50-100 for 1 GB of data vs the current price of approximately Rs. 250 for 1 GB of 4G data.

November 21, 2015
Vodafone’s Free 100 MB Data Has Got to Be the Lamest Diwali Freebie Ever

Just when you thought things in the country couldn’t get any stranger (to use a safer word), we have been proved wrong one more time as Vodafone chooses to take randomness (once again, playing it safe) to a whole new level. In a very unusual turn of events, the company is offering a 100 MB of data for free to all its users all over India.

Vodafone says in an official statement, “At Vodafone, we are driven with the singular objective of delivering superior experience to our customers.”

Sorry, what? Next time if there’s a brainstorming session for ideas of Diwali free gifts at Vodafone, hopefully somebody comes up with something probably just a tiny bit more useful like – better customer service where the company representatives actually manage to solve the user’s problem for a change, or better network coverage which doesn’t require the user to perform all sorts of acrobats to get a single bar of reception in their device, and what’s up on the 4G front, folks? How about offering something that truly helps your 188 million ‘valued’ customers in the country? Take a look at re-volt to get a better picture of what we’re trying to say.

Vodafone Diwali freebies got us excited like.

Unfortunately, Vodafone is already glorying in the extra 100 MB of data they are going to be handing out to their customers to realise how badly they have missed the mark. The “special” offer, as Vodafone fondly calls its problem child, will be available to all Vodafone customers on Wednesday, November 11, 2015. They can avail it by SMS-ing ‘DIWALI’ to 199. Do let us know how many extra selfies you manage to exchange with all this free data.

November 4, 2015
Airtel, Vodafone Launch Nationwide MNP from July 3

From Friday, you will be able to retain the same number anywhere in India, without changing your network operator. Today, mobile operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone said that they would roll out nationwide mobile number portability (MNP) from July 3.

Telecom operators were supposed to roll out nationwide MNP in May. However, due to the technical challenges faced by telecom operators, the deadline of May 3 was extended by two months by Department of Telecom (DoT). According to COAI, the telecom industry body, telecom operators needed 8 weeks to make some technical changes to their networks due to changes in national numbering plan (NNP), resulting in delay.

Ajai Puri, Director, Market Operations, Bharti Airtel, said

With our complete readiness to launch National Mobile Number Portability, we aim to empower customers enabling them to retain this identity as they move across anywhere in the country. To facilitate a seamless transition we will also allow our customers to enjoy free incoming on roaming while their number portability request is being processed.

Now that Airtel and Vodafone have implemented full MNP, subscribers will be able to switch to the same or different network in a different state while retaining the same mobile number. Airtel promises that the porting request will take effect in 24 hours, which is fast when compared to the 8 days it usually takes.

To make the MNP process even more smooth, Airtel customers will enjoy free incoming on roaming while their request is processed and can transfer their prepaid balance & carry forward postpaid unbilled/billed amount. The process for national MNP will be the same as intra-city MNP.

Read about Vodafone’s latest tariff plans here.

July 2, 2015
Vodafone Lowers National Roaming Tariffs For its Customers

Vodafone India has lowered down their call rates for national roaming tariffs. These will come into effect 1^st May onwards.

This reduction applies to both local and STD calls. All outgoing calls on roaming have been set to 80paise/minute, which earlier was Re. 1/minute. For STD calls, rates have been revised to Rs 1.15/minute from the former Rs 1.5/minute. Also regarding text messaging, prices have been slashed down to 75% while on roaming. Earlier, it was Re. 1 which have been lowered to 25 paise now. For STD, rates have been reduced to 38 paise from Rs. 1.50.

As for the Special Roaming Tariff Plan for prepaid and postpaid users, which is as follows:

Currently, Vodafone has incoming free packs for Prepaid and Post-paid customers and the incoming voice calls while on national roaming would be free, on payment of fixed charge. Revised packs are as follows:

Vodafone is one of the largest telecommunication service providers of the world, with more than 444 million subscribers and 11.8 million fixed broadband customers. Clearly, this move will be appreciated by many.

April 30, 2015
Now, Purchase an Apple Iphone6 by Vodafone with Zero Down-Payment

Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in India in the October of 2014. The devices received acclaim for their features such as continuity and Apple Pay, but also drew flak for issues such as “bendability” in the iPhone 6 Plus. The devices are priced for the premium segment so they are out of reach of many. If you really wanted to own Apple’s latest flagship, Vodafone is giving you an option to own the device that is light on your pocket.

In the open market, the 16GB variant of the iPhone 6 comes for Rs 53,500 and the iPhone 6 Plus is priced at Rs 62,500. But Vodafone is offering the handsets for a monthly EMI of Rs 3,599 for both the iPhone variants. The period of EMI is 24 months. The monthly EMI includes handset cost, local/STD calls, local/national SMS and 3G data and applicable taxes.

The best part about this deal is that there is zero down payment for the 16 GB variant of the iPhone 6.The iPhone 6 Plus though is available for a down payment of Rs 8,490.

Vodafone India has launched tariff plans today where the customer can make calls, send SMS and access 3G data bundled with an iPhone starting at Rs. 2,099.

The company has also offered deals with a 12 month EMI option or upfront cash payment. Vodafone has also offered an additional cash-back offer of Rs 3,000 for all models of the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5s.

January 16, 2015

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