Vodafone already announced that it will launch 4G services in India by December 2015. It also said that Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Kochi circles will get 4G first. Today the operator has announced that it will roll out 4G services in Kerala by December 2015. It also said that Kochi, Trivandrum and Kozhikode will be in the first wave of the 4G roll-out, which will be launched across the circle in a phased manner.
Vodafone acquired additional 4G (LTE) 1800 MHz spectrum in 5 circles – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Kerala and Karnataka in February 2014 auctions. Vodafone said that it has started testing 4G services in Kerala and has partnered with leading global technology infrastructure service providers for the network roll-out.
It also said that it has already invested more than Rs. 350 crores in Kerala towards its network upgradation in the first six months of the current financial year. The investment is to upgrade its own network, modernize the radio network and for switching systems to deliver enhanced 3G experience.
Vodafone also said that it is investing in high capacity Fibre to significantly increase the internet connectivity to the rest of the world, which will benefit all its data subscribers. Kerala accounts for 15% of data revenues and is one of the top data markets for Vodafone in India with growth of over 80% YoY, exceeding the pace of growth of the previous year, said the company.
Commenting on the plans to launch of 4G services in Kerala, Abhijit Kishore, Business Head–Kerala, Vodafone India said:
This is an important phase for Vodafone in Kerala and our customers have a lot to look forward to. We are excited to launch our new 4G services in the superior 1800 MHz band and also provide a faster and enhanced 3G experience for our customers. Having launched 4G services in several countries, Vodafone has the requisite expertise and experience to ensure that its service in Kerala will be best in class. We will continue to pursue our customer centric strategy of continuing to meet their evolving needs for better and smarter connectivity for both voice and data.