New Delhi, April 18, 2025: Vodafone Idea (Vi) subscribers in major Indian cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Pune were hit by a significant network outage during the early hours of Friday. Users reported being unable to access mobile internet, make voice calls, or receive one-time passwords (OTPs) required for essential services like online banking.
The disruption, which began shortly after 12:30 am, triggered a surge in user complaints, particularly on outage-monitoring platform Downdetector. The telecom operator has since confirmed that the outage was the result of a technical issue, which has now been resolved.
Vodafone Idea Responds
In an official statement, a Vodafone Idea spokesperson said:
“Our network services were briefly impacted in NCR during the early hours of Friday (April 18) due to a technical issue. The issue has been resolved and all services are now back to normal. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank our users for their patience and understanding.”
Downdetector Data Confirms Widespread Impact
According to Downdetector, complaints started spiking around 12:30 am and peaked at 1:00 am, with over 1,880 reports logged in a span of less than an hour. The outage left a majority of users without signal and some facing complete blackout conditions.
Breakdown of User Complaints:
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71% reported “no signal”
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21% reported a “total blackout”
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9% cited mobile internet issues
Affected Locations:
The most impacted regions included:
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Delhi NCR: New Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad
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Maharashtra: Mumbai, Pune
Social media platforms were quickly flooded with posts from frustrated customers who complained about failed OTPs, inability to access apps, and disruptions in banking and payment services.
Some users also noted that restarting their devices, switching to airplane mode, or using the Vi mobile app did not help in restoring connectivity.
Timing of Outage Raises Eyebrows
The network disruption comes at a delicate time for Vodafone Idea, which recently received a boost in its funding outlook. A report by Citi Research highlighted that ICRA, a leading credit rating agency, had upgraded Vi’s long-term fund facilities rating from BB+ to BBB-.
The rating improvement came on the heels of the Indian government’s decision to convert Vi’s spectrum dues into equity, which reduces the company’s debt burden and opens the door for further fundraising.
Citi noted that this development significantly enhances Vi’s chances of securing the $2.9 billion in funding it has been pursuing. The rating upgrade also meets a critical requirement for obtaining fresh lending, a crucial factor in the telco’s survival strategy amid fierce competition.
While Vodafone Idea may have managed to resolve the technical issue relatively quickly, the outage underscores the fragile state of its infrastructure, even as it attempts to bounce back from years of declining market share and mounting liabilities.
Consumers, particularly in urban centers, expect reliability as a given, and overnight disruptions — even if rare — can erode customer trust. The incident may push the telco to reassess its contingency planning and response systems, especially as it seeks to convince both users and investors of its long-term viability.
