Vi Vodafone 3G services to shut down in Delhi before January 15, 2021

Vodafone Idea, which recently renamed itself, Vi, is notifying Delhi customers to switch to 4G before January 15, 2021. According to an online report, Vi will shut down its 3G services in Delhi. 3G users who do not upgrade their SIM to 4G will receive voice calls over 2G. However, data services will not be available on old SIM connections. Current 4G users will not be affected.

The move is part of Vi's current spectrum upgrade, according to which the operator is using its 3G spectrum for 4G services, Gadgets360 reported. Vi asks customers to go to their nearest Vi store to upgrade their SIM to 4G to continue getting voice and data services on their phones.

Earlier this week Vi reassembled 3G to 4G spectrum at all Mumbai sites. The development came in light of the 5MHz deployment of the 2100MHz spectrum band. Vi noted that it increased with the migration from 3G to 4G spectrum. Vi GIGAnet 4G users the triple benefits of more coverage wide, network quality and greater capacity to transport traffic. Vi customers will be able to enjoy higher download and upload speeds as well as better indoor coverage.

"The year 2020 has brought about massive changes in consumer behaviours. While the data demand has grown manifold, telecom network today has become the mandatory layer to exist in a digital society. This has drawn focus on the criticality of 24x7 high-speed mobile network connectivity across both- commercial as well as residential areas," Vi had noted in a statement. It further stated that the integration of erstwhile Vodafone and Idea networks, combined with the latest 3G to 4G spectrum refarming gives Vodafone Idea "the edge of optimum availability and utilization of spectrum to serve the needs of tech-savvy individual customers as well as Enterprises."

Vodafone Idea currently has liberalized spectrum holdings of 10 MHz of the 900 MHz band, 18.6 MHz of the 1800 MHz band, 5 MHz of the 2100 MHz band and 20 MHz of the 2500 MHz band in the circle of Delhi telecommunications, Only Tech reported.

Vi cited Ookla, the world leader in broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications, and said it verified Vi's GIGAnet as the most consistent and fastest 4G network in Mumbai in terms of download and upload speeds. He also said that after the renewal, Vi customers in Mumbai could enjoy the fastest 4G experience using a 4G phone and 4G SIM. Vi has an overall subscriber base of 292.84 million subscribers as of October 2020 according to TRAI data.