Vodafone has begun offering 4G SIM cards at 28 of its exclusive stores across Kolkata, ahead of its LTE launch in the city. The telecom operator says it will release the cards to multi-brand shops gradually.
In a press statement, the Business Head of Vodafone in Kolkata and Rest of Bengal Circles Anand Sahai said that the brand will begin its 4G services in the metro very soon through the 1800MHz band. The network company had previously confirmed it will roll out its LTE platform in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bengaluru by March 2016.
Vodafone had released the 4G-ready SIM cards in Mumbai just last week. Customers can now swap their old SIM card and continue utilizing their current plan till the service provider launches its high-speed network. To recollect, the firm had debuted the LTE platform in Kerala in December last year after conducting extensive tests across India.
Select high-value Mumbai customers can also look forward to getting their 4G SIMs delivered to their home. Vodafone currently has the rights to offer its LTE service in 5 circles in India. A recent report had claimed that the telecom company was holding discussions with Tikona Digital Networks to buy up its spectrum in the 2300 MHz bandwidth.
Also Read: Vodafone in talks to buy Tikona 4G spectrum
Tikona currently has the rights to the Rajasthan, UP (East), UP (West), Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat circles, all of which it bought for Rs 1058 crore. Vodafone is further considering the possibility of buying up more 1800MHz airwaves from Videocon Mobiles. Talks are apparently stalled as of now due to valuation differences.
UK-based Vodafone would benefit greatly from owning additional 4G spectrum in India, given the kind of competition it faces. Airtel has already launched its 4G services in 296 towns spread over 23 circles. Reliance Jio is planning to kickstart its pan-India rollout by March 2016 as well.