Vodafone Idea to target premium customer base for its 5G services

On the brink of bankruptcy until recently, Vodafone Idea (Vi) has won the 5G spectrum for Rs 18,800 crore in 17 circles. But this will not be enough for the telecommunication (telecom) operator to retain its customer base, observe analysts.

Telecom analysts say the industry is moving into a duopoly with Reliance Jio (Jio) and Bharti Airtel (Airtel) taking the lead, while laggards like Vi and government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam compete for customers at the bottom of the pyramid.  

“Vi’s positioning may be further impacted as peers scale up 5G offerings with higher capacities and enhanced coverage,” says an analyst with Kotak