Vodafone Idea Limited (formerly Idea Cellular Limited) is India's largest telecom operator, with its headquarter based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Vodafone Idea is a pan-India integrated GSM operator offering 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services. Vodafone Idea also provides services including Mobile payments, IoT, advanced enterprise offerings and entertainment, accessible via both digital channels as well as on-ground touch points, centers across the country. The company's vision is 'to create world class digital experiences to connect and inspire every Indian to build a better tomorrow'. Vodafone Idea has 408 million subscribers as of June 2018, forming the and the largest mobile telecommunications network nationally. Vodafone Idea has a broadband network of 340,000 sites, distribution reach of 1.7 million retail outlets and 32.2% market share.
On 31 August 2018, Vodafone India merged into Idea Cellular,and was renamed as Vodafone Idea Limited. However, the merged entity would continue using both the Idea and Vodafone brand. Currently, the Vodafone Group holds a 45.2% stake in the combined entity, the Aditya Birla Group holds 26% and the remaining shares will be held by the public. Kumar Mangalam Birla heads the merged company as the Chairman, with Mr. Balesh Sharma as the CEO.
Video Vodafone Idea Limited
History
Vodafone Idea Limited started its journey in 1995 as Birla Communications Limited with GSM licenses in Gujarat and Maharashtra circles. In 1996 it changed its name to Birla AT&T Communications Limited following the joint venture between Grasim Industries and AT&T Corporation. In 2001 it changed its name to Birla Tata AT&T as a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group, Tata Group and AT&T Wireless. The company named its brand Idea in 2002. Following AT&T Wireless' merger with Cingular Wireless in 2004, Cingular decided to sell its 32.9% stake in Idea. This stake was bought by the remaining two stakeholders equally. Tata forayed into the cellular market with its own subsidiary, Tata Indicom, a CDMA-based mobile provider and in April 2006, Aditya Birla Group announced the acquisition of the 48.18% stake held by Tata Group at INR 40.51 a share amounting to INR 44.06 billion with 15% of the stake acquired by Aditya Birla Nuvo and the remaining by Birla TMT holdings Private Ltd, both AV Birla family owned companies. Malaysia based Axiata bought a 19.96% stake in the company in 2009.
Vodafone India
Vodafone India was the Indian subsidiary of UK-based Vodafone Group plc and was a provider of telecommunications services in India with its operational head office in Mumbai. As of March 2018, Vodafone India had a market share of 21% with approximately 223 million subscribers and was the second largest mobile telecommunications network nationally at the time of merger. On 31 August 2018, Vodafone India merged with Idea Cellular to form Vodafone Idea Limited. However, the merged entity to continue using both the Idea and Vodafone brand.
Merger with Idea Cellular
On 20 March 2017, Idea and Vodafone India announced that their respective boards had approved a merger of the two companies. The merger got approval from Department Of Telecommunications in July 2018. On August, 30, 2018, National Company Law Tribunal gave the final nod to the Vodafone-Idea merger The merger was completed on 31 August 2018, and the newly merged entity is named Vodafone Idea Ltd. However, the merger did not include Vodafone's 42% stake in Indus Towers Ltd. The merger created the largest telecom company in India by subscribers and by revenue. Under the terms of the deal, the Vodafone Group holds a 45.2% stake in the combined entity, the Aditya Birla Group holds 26% and the remaining shares will be held by the public.
Maps Vodafone Idea Limited
Operations
Vodafone Idea Limited competes with other major mobile operators including Airtel, BSNL, and Reliance Jio. Several smaller operators Telenor and Tata DoCoMo - with whom Vodafone Idea Limited competed are now in the process of Merging their businesses with Airtel, also MTNL. Vodafone Idea Limited has gone far ahead of the rest of these competitors with a Revenue Market Share of over 32.2%.
On 19 May 2010, in the 3G spectrum auction Vodafone Idea Limited paid INR57.68 billion (US$840 million) for spectrum in 11 circles. Vodafone Idea Limited launched its first 3G services in 2011.
As of September 2018, Vodafone Idea Limited offers 4G LTE services on its own spectrum in all the telecom circles.
VoLTE
Vodafone Idea Limited has started rolling its 4G VoLTE services in the country under these tag Vodafone Super Volte & Idea Volte. Currently the circles where the company is providing VoLTE are:
- Delhi
- Mumbai
- Kolkata
- Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra & Goa
- Tamil Nadu
- Haryana
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Uttar Pradesh (East)
- Uttar Pradesh (West)
- West Bengal
- Assam
- Bihar & Jharkhand
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir
- North East
- Odisha
Radio frequency summary
Vodafone Idea Limited owns spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands across the country.
Note: the above table contains Vodafone-Idea (merged entity) radio frequency details because they share their networks with each other via ICR (intra-circle roaming agreement) in some circles. For example, Idea has started it's customers in Delhi access 4G services in May 2018 via the Vodafone network.
See also
- Vodafone Group
- Aditya Birla Group
- Telecommunications in India
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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