Telecom operators Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL have reportedly agreed to expand their existing network sharing agreement pan-India, covering all telecom circles across the country. The agreement has reportedly been finalised earlier this week at a meeting between Vodafone Idea CEO Abhijit Kishore and BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Robert J Ravi.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL to Take Network Sharing Pan-India
While neither of the telecom companies has confirmed the new deal, several industry insiders claim that the proposed agreement has three parts. First, Vi and BSNL will enter into both intra-circle and inter-circle roaming agreements.
This means that subscribers of one telecom operator can also connect to the other company's network for better coverage and connectivity. This means that in areas where BSNL struggles, consumers will be able to take advantage of Vi's network coverage for uninterrupted access to data, calls and SMS. The same is true vice versa.
Secondly, the towers and optical fibre infrastructure will also be made available for both Vi and BSNL subscribers, bringing a unified network for coverage and user base. Lastly, the deal between Vi and BSNL will work on a revenue-sharing basis, where the operator doing the heavy lifting will share revenue with the company that is helping subscribers stay connected.
While this is a huge deal considering both Vi and BSNL are going to share network and subscriber base across India, the agreement itself isn't new. The two companies already run a network-sharing deal in Delhi and Mumbai, where BSNL subscribers can use Vodafone Idea's network.
Separately, BSNL has leased roughly 1,441 towers to Vodafone Idea as of April 2026, according to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) data.
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Why Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL Are Taking Network Sharing Nationwide?
While the core foundation of this deal is to offer reliable access to network coverage to both operators' subscribers, another reason is also due to the current duopoly of Airtel and Reliance Jio.
As per TRAI data from December 2025, Vi lost 9 lakh subscribers in a single month, while Airtel added 54 lakh and Jio added 29 lakh, respectively. This has resulted in Vodafone Idea struggling to fund its own network rollout and having to rope in BSNL for assistance.
As for BSNL, even though the company has the necessary infrastructure, the reliability of its network has been a big issue. Not to mention, the operator has only recently completed the 4G rollout along with beginning 5G access. Hence, access to Vi's network means having greater reliability for consumers as well as giving them access to the fastest data coverage.
That said, neither company has issued an official statement regarding the agreement yet. It is unclear when Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL will bring their network-sharing deal live. We will know for sure once official details emerge. So, stay tuned.
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