By Vallari Sanzgiri

Copyright thehindubusinessline

Vodafone Idea (Vi) expects satellite communication services to become commercially viable by 2026, with Vi indicating that the final regulatory approvals will be taken care of by then.

During a recent media interaction at the telco’s Super Network Operations Centre (SNOC) in Pune, officials said that “action will happen” next year.

Following Vi’s partnership with AST SpaceMobile earlier this year, Ambika Khurana, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, said, “It will take a few months to get into a space of getting the commercial technology regulatory pieces all aligned.” Company officials were engaged with the Department of Telecommunications, including meetings last week.

No FWA competition plans

When asked about the Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) space, Vi said it has decided against entering the market, choosing to focus exclusively on mobility services. “For the time being, focus was mobility and focus is mobility. For Airtel and Jio, it is complementary. For us, it is a new business segment,” said Jagbit Singh, Chief Technical Officer at Vi.

The company’s existing broadband services represent less than 2 per cent of revenue, reinforcing its strategic focus on core mobility offerings. Singh acknowledged that priorities could evolve, but emphasised the current commitment to mobility services.

Increased data utilisation

The company reported a 25-30 per cent increase in data utilisation in 5G areas. Average customer data consumption also increased from 22-23 GB to 26-27 GB monthly. Vi maintains 83 per cent pan-India 4G population coverage and 88 per cent in priority circles.

The company is simultaneously investing in AI automation across operations, working with multiple vendors on projects spanning 2-3 years once contracts are finalised. Anti-spam calling measures will be launched within 2-4 weeks, following earlier SMS spam solutions.

Published on September 22, 2025