Vodafone Idea Launches 5G Commercial Service in Bengaluru with Samsung’s Versatile Solutions

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 Punjab¹.

As part of this collaboration, Vi had already launched 5G commercial services in Chandigarh and Patna in April 2025. Vi has successfully deployed Samsung’s small 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 greener and more sustainable approaches for 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 functions known 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 network functionalities 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."