Vodafone Idea (Vi) has signed a 25-year agreement with neutral digital infrastructure provider ACES India to provide 4G and 5G connectivity across Mumbai Metro Aqua Line-3. The partnership brings Vi onto the shared telecom infrastructure deployed across the 33.5-km underground corridor connecting Aarey JVLR and Cuffe Parade.
Vi Joins ACES India’s Neutral-Host Network
Under the agreement, Vi customers will receive mobile connectivity across Aqua Line-3 stations, concourses, platforms and underground tunnels. The infrastructure is designed to support voice calls, mobile data and other digital services throughout the commuter journey.
Aqua Line-3 has 27 stations and spans approximately 33.5 kilometres between Aarey JVLR and Cuffe Parade. ACES India says the network infrastructure has been designed for an ultimate capacity of more than 625 million passengers annually. This figure represents the infrastructure’s stated capacity rather than the current number of commuters using the line.
Shared Infrastructure Avoids Separate Underground Deployments
Instead of each operator building an entirely separate network infrastructure inside the underground corridor, ACES India operates a neutral digital infrastructure platform that can support multiple telecom operators.
Vi’s agreement adds another major operator to this shared network. Reliance Jio had previously signed a separate 25-year agreement with ACES India in August to provide 4G and 5G services across the same Metro Line-3 infrastructure.
The neutral-host model is particularly relevant in underground environments, where space for conventional telecom infrastructure is limited and operators need dedicated systems to maintain mobile coverage through tunnels and stations.
Vi Customers Get Connectivity Across the Underground Route
For Vi users, the agreement is intended to extend mobile connectivity beyond station areas into the underground sections of the metro. ACES India says its infrastructure supports connectivity across stations, platforms, concourses and running tunnels.
The development is significant for Mumbai commuters because underground rail networks can create challenging radio environments, making continuous mobile coverage dependent on purpose-built infrastructure rather than conventional outdoor cellular sites.
Vi CTO Jagbir Singh said the partnership is part of the company’s effort to provide connectivity across public transit infrastructure and support 4G and 5G services in high-density urban environments.
Agreement Strengthens Multi-Operator Metro Network
The Vi deal expands ACES India’s multi-operator digital infrastructure ecosystem on Aqua Line-3. The company says its neutral-host architecture is intended to provide a scalable platform that allows multiple telecom operators to deliver mobile services in complex environments.
For telecom operators, such infrastructure can also simplify network deployment in locations where installing separate physical systems for every operator would be difficult. The commercial and investment benefits for Vi specifically have not been disclosed, so claims that the agreement will reduce its capital expenditure by a particular amount cannot yet be established.
What the Vi Deal Means for Mumbai Metro Users
The agreement gives Vi customers access to a dedicated 4G and 5G connectivity infrastructure along one of Mumbai’s major underground transport corridors. It also moves Aqua Line-3 closer to a multi-operator connectivity model, with Vi joining Jio on the ACES India platform.
The 25-year term also provides a long-term framework for mobile connectivity as passenger demand and network requirements evolve. The immediate focus, however, is on extending reliable voice and data services throughout the underground metro environment.
