Vi’s daily data usage reaches 88.4 petabytes as 4G and 5G subscribers grow, average consumption rises and ARPU reaches Rs 195.
Vodafone Idea’s network data usage increased nearly 28 percent year-on-year in Q1 FY27, signalling higher engagement among its 4G and 5G customers as the operator continues expanding network coverage and capacity.
Vi reported average daily data usage of 88.4 petabytes during the quarter, up from 69.1 petabytes per day in Q1 FY26. The increase works out to approximately 27.9 percent year-on-year.
The growth was accompanied by higher average data consumption among Vi’s high-speed-data subscribers, a larger 4G and 5G customer base and a significant improvement in average revenue per user (ARPU).
Vi 4G and 5G Data Consumption Rises
Average monthly data consumption per Vi 4G and 5G subscriber increased 25.2 percent year-on-year to 21.7GB in Q1 FY27.
At the same time, Vi’s 4G and 5G subscriber base increased to 130.1 million from 127.4 million a year earlier. That represents an addition of 2.7 million high-speed-data subscribers over the 12-month period.
The share of 4G and 5G customers in Vi’s overall subscriber base also improved from 64.4 percent to 67.4 percent.
This means more than two-thirds of Vi’s customers were using its higher-speed mobile networks by the end of the quarter. The shift is important for Vi because migrating customers from 2G to 4G and 5G gives the company an opportunity to increase data usage and move users towards higher-value plans.
Vodafone Idea ARPU Rises to Rs 195
Vi’s improving data usage has come alongside higher customer ARPU.
The operator’s ARPU increased 10.2 percent year-on-year from Rs 177 to Rs 195 in Q1 FY27. Vi said its ARPU has increased for 20 consecutive quarters.
Vi has attributed the improvement to premiumisation, a better 4G and 5G subscriber mix and higher data consumption.
The company still has a significant migration opportunity. Around 34 percent of its customers remain on 2G, according to management, giving Vi a large base of users that could potentially be moved to 4G and 5G services.
For Vi, this migration is important because the combination of a larger high-speed-data customer base and higher usage can support further monetisation over time.
Vi Expands 4G and 5G Network
Network expansion remains central to Vi’s strategy to increase high-speed-data adoption.
The operator added nearly 3,000 unique broadband sites during Q1 FY27 and more than 15,600 sites over the preceding 12 months. Its pan-India 4G population coverage consequently increased to 87 percent.
Vi also expanded its 5G footprint to more than 200 cities across all 17 telecom circles where it holds 5G spectrum.
The company had more than 16,000 5G sites at the time of its Q1 earnings call and said it planned to extend 5G coverage to another 200-plus cities over the following two quarters.
Vi has also placed network capital expenditure orders worth more than Rs 9,000 crore. The company expects the capex covered by these orders to be deployed over the following two quarters or less and plans to add approximately 3,500 4G sites per month.
Higher Data Usage Gives Vi Another Growth Lever
The combination of higher data consumption and network expansion is significant for Vi because the operator is attempting to rebuild its competitive position after years of subscriber pressure.
A customer using more mobile data is potentially more valuable to the operator, particularly when that usage is associated with higher-value plans. However, higher traffic alone does not guarantee improved profitability or customer retention.
Vi therefore needs to convert its improving network usage into sustained subscriber growth, higher ARPU and better monetisation.
The company’s recent subscriber trends provide one positive signal. According to TRAI data, Vi added 240,114 mobile subscribers in July 2026, taking its subscriber base to around 199.06 million.
July marked another month of positive subscriber movement for the operator, although its additions remained considerably below those of Jio and Airtel.
Vi Data Usage vs Jio and Airtel
Vi’s nearly 28 percent increase in daily data usage compares favourably with the growth reported by Reliance Jio, although the figures should not be treated as a direct like-for-like comparison.
Jio reported 26.9 percent year-on-year growth in total network data traffic during Q1 FY27. Its total traffic for the quarter reached 69.4 exabytes. Vi, by comparison, reports average daily network usage of 88.4 petabytes.
A simple conversion of Jio’s quarterly traffic into a daily average would put its traffic at roughly 762.6 petabytes per day over a 91-day quarter. However, Jio’s reported network traffic includes its broader connectivity operations, while Vi’s metric is reported as daily network data usage.
Airtel’s reported traffic growth was higher, with India mobile data traffic increasing 36 percent year-on-year during the quarter.
Therefore, Vi’s 27.9 percent growth indicates strong improvement in data consumption, but it does not mean Vi carries more traffic than either Jio or Airtel.
Vi Still Has a Large 2G Migration Opportunity
One of the biggest opportunities for Vodafone Idea is the migration of its remaining 2G users.
With roughly one-third of its customer base still on 2G, the company has a sizeable pool of users who could eventually move to 4G or 5G.
That migration could increase data consumption while potentially improving ARPU, provided Vi can convince customers to adopt higher-value plans and maintain competitive pricing.
The challenge will be executing that migration while simultaneously expanding network coverage and managing the substantial capital requirements associated with 4G and 5G deployment.
What Vi’s Q1 Data Growth Means
Vi’s Q1 FY27 numbers show a network where customers are consuming substantially more data than they were a year earlier.
Daily network usage rose from 69.1 petabytes to 88.4 petabytes, average monthly usage per 4G and 5G subscriber reached 21.7GB and the high-speed-data subscriber base crossed 130 million.
At the same time, ARPU increased to Rs 195 and Vi continued expanding its 4G and 5G footprint.
These figures do not by themselves establish that Vi has turned around its business, but they provide measurable evidence of improving network engagement and customer mix.
The next test will be whether Vi can sustain subscriber additions, migrate more 2G users to 4G and 5G, expand coverage and convert rising data consumption into stronger financial performance.
