, which is a complete shock for Jio and Airtel! The era of monopoly was going on.){kind=link}
Today a big news has come from Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is a complete shock for Jio and Airtel! The era of monopoly was going on in the telecom sector, but Vi has shaken everyone with its latest moves. I will tell you what Vi did, why it is a big update, and what does it mean. Come, let’s see how Vi is standing against Jio and Airtel!
Arbitrariness of Jio and Airtel
In the last few days, Jio and Airtel have increased the prices of their plans. Jio discontinued its ₹249 plan and launched a ₹299 plan, which provided only 500MB more data, but charged ₹50 extra. Airtel also followed the same path and discontinued its ₹249 plan and hiked the price by the same amount. Meaning, if someone uses a secondary SIM, now he will have to recharge up to ₹300. Both these companies are increasing the rates as per their wish, and the biggest reason for this is the lack of competition in the telecom sector. BSNL’s network is not that strong now, and it was lagging behind earlier. But now the scene has changed!
Vodafone Idea’s Comeback
Vi is now full of new enthusiasm and is giving a tough competition to Jio-Airtel. Earlier Vi’s user base was continuously falling, but now they have made so many changes in their network and services that the loss of users has reduced considerably. As per the numbers of Quarter 1 FY26, Vi has lost just 5 lakh users, whereas earlier they were losing an average of 37 lakh users every quarter. This is a big improvement – meaning user loss has reduced by 7 times! Now Vi’s user base is 19.27 crore, which is quite solid.
And a big update – Vi’s data users have increased to 13.5 crore, which is an increase of 7 lakh. Postpaid customers have also seen a growth of 10%, which is good for the company’s revenue. These numbers show that Vi is now succeeding in retaining users and attracting new customers.
Big bang in Network
Vi has also upgraded its network completely. In this quarter, they installed 22,000 new 4G/5G sites, due to which their network coverage increased from 77% to 84.1%. This is a big jump! And the most important thing – Vi has started 5G services in 22 cities. Their 5G plan is only for ₹299, while Jio’s same plan is for ₹349 and Airtel’s is for ₹398. Meaning, Vi is not only providing better services, but also at a cheaper rate. This has opened up a big option for users.
Challenge of Debt
Yes, Vi still faces a big problem – debt. Currently Vi has a debt of ₹2.1 lakh crore, which includes ₹1.23 lakh crore spectrum dues and ₹75,900 crore AGR dues. But the government has helped – in exchange for dues of ₹37,000 crore, the government has increased its stake in Vi to around 49%. This is a big support for Vi, and the company is getting funds from it to expand its network.
At a time when the prices of Jio and Airtel plans are rising, Vi’s cheaper 5G plan and better network coverage is a real game-changer. This shows that Vi is not just surviving now, but is ready to fight back in the market. It is very important to have competition in the telecom sector, otherwise Jio and Airtel will keep increasing prices as per their wish, and customers will be left with no option. This comeback of Vi is proof that it is now fully enthusiastic about bringing back users and adding new customers.
| Features | Description |
|---|---|
| User base | 19.27 crore (Q1 FY26) |
| Data users | 13.5 crore (+7 lakh) |
| Postpaid growth | 10% |
| Network coverage | 84.1% (up from 77%) |
| 5G plan | ₹299 (Jio: ₹349, Airtel: ₹398) |
| New sites | 22,000 (4G/5G) |
| Debt | ₹2.1 lakh crore (Spectrum: ₹1.23 lakh crore, AGR: ₹75,900 crore) |
| Government share | ~49% |
Conclusion
Vodafone Idea’s comeback is a big twist in the telecom sector! ₹299 5G plan, better network coverage, and less user loss shows that Vi is now giving tough competition to Jio and Airtel. Debt is a problem, but with Government support and new funds, Vi’s future looks bright. Competition is a must in Telecom, otherwise customers will not have cheap options. What do you think – should we support Vi? Tell us your opinion in the comments!