Indian operator Vodafone Idea rebranded as Vi to mark the full integration of the Vodafone and Idea brands, two years after commencing the tie-up.
In a statement, Ravinder Takkar, managing director and CEO of Vodafone Idea, said the rebrand “marks the completion of the largest telecom merger in the world”, and but also paves the way for the operator to offer “world class digital experiences”.
Takkar added the integration made the operator “leaner and agile”, and development of 5G architecture aided in transforming the operator into a “future-fit, digital network”.
The company said it continued to increase “coverage and capacity” to its 4G networks to supports its growing customer base which reached one billion connections. The operator bolstered its network with the integration of two strong networks and deployed new age technologies such as: dynamic spectrum re-farming, M-MIMO, Time Division Duplexing, Small Cells, Cloud and OpenRan.
The rebrand comes as Indian media reported e-commerce giant Amazon and US operator Verizon, were touted as potential investors for the cash-strapped company seeking investors.
The Indian government billed Vodafone Idea for $7 billion in its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues decision in October, to be paid over 10 years starting next year.