&w=3840&q=100)
Vodafone Idea share price rises 2% on inking pact with AST SpaceMobile
SI Reporter New Delhi
Vodafone Idea share price: Vodafone Idea (Vi) shares were buzzing in trade on Thursday, June 19, 2025, with the stock rising up to 2.43 per cent to hit an intraday high of ₹6.72 per share.
At 9:36 AM, Vodafone Idea share price was trading 0.30 per cent higher at ₹6.58 per share. In comparison, BSE Sensex was trading flat with a positive bias at 81,457 levels.
What sparked the up move in Vodafone Idea share price today?
Vodafone Idea shares surged today following the announcement of a strategic partnership with AST SpaceMobile Inc. aimed at expanding mobile connectivity across India's most remote and unconnected regions.
'AST SpaceMobile made history by placing the first ever voice and video call from space using a standard mobile phone, a milestone that demonstrates the real world viability of its advanced technology,' Vodafone Idea highlighted, in a statement.
India, home to over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers, remains one of the most dynamic telecom markets globally. While 4G is widespread and 5G is growing, large parts of the country still struggle with mobile access due to challenging terrains. Satellite communication is expected to play a crucial complementary role in bridging these coverage gaps.
"India, with its vast and dynamic telecom market, is the ideal place to demonstrate how our space-based cellular broadband can seamlessly complement terrestrial networks," said Chris Ivory, chief commercial officer, AST SpaceMobile.
The partnership will integrate Vi's national mobile network with AST SpaceMobile's space-based cellular broadband, which connects directly to everyday smartphones—without requiring any additional software, device changes, or updates.
"Vi has always been committed to leveraging technology to connect every Indian and we see satellite communication as a complement to terrestrial connectivity. As satellite-based mobile access becomes a reality in India, we are looking forward to ushering in a new era of seamless and resilient connectivity," said Avneesh Khosla, Chief Marketing Officer, Vi. ALSO READ |
Aligned with the goals of the Digital India initiative, the collaboration will focus on the design, deployment, and launch of a satellite-based broadband system. AST SpaceMobile will develop and manage the satellite constellation, while Vodafone Idea will oversee terrestrial network integration, spectrum operations, and market access.
Ivory added, "We are not just expanding coverage; we are breaking down barriers to connectivity, enabling everyday smartphones to access 4G and 5G directly from space. Together with Vodafone Idea, we are excited to unlock new possibilities for emergency response, disaster management, agriculture, remote learning, and countless other applications that will benefit from truly ubiquitous mobile broadband."
The collaboration is set to position India at the forefront of global space tech innovation, while also enabling Vi and AST SpaceMobile to develop commercial solutions across consumer, enterprise, and IoT sectors.
About Vodafone Idea
Vodafone Idea Limited is among the leading telecom service providers in India, formed through a partnership between the Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group.
With a robust spectrum portfolio—including mid-band 5G spectrum in 17 circles and mmWave spectrum in 16 circles—Vodafone Idea is committed to meeting the growing demand for mobile connectivity.
technologies, offering innovative solutions for both retail and enterprise customers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Mobile bills may rise further as telcos keep adding subscribers
New Delhi: Mobile tariffs could rise again towards the year-end, by 10-12%, especially for mid-and-higher paying consumers. Sharp rise in active subscribers in May, backed by a fifth straight month of net user additions, has stimulated telecom operators' appetite for a fresh round of tariff hikes, say industry executives and analysts. They, however, cautioned that base plan prices rose 11-23% during the last increase in July 2024 and any further increase could trigger higher subscriber next round could also see the introduction of tiered pricing where data allowances are reduced drastically to incentivise purchasing of more data packs, say experts. May saw a 29-month record surge of 7.4 million active users to nearly 1.08 billion. It marked the fifth straight month of growth in net user additions, rebounding from a cumulative 21 million loss between July-November. Market leader Reliance Jio Infocomm added 5.5 million active subscribers in May, increasing its active user base by 150 bps to 53%. Bharti Airtel added 1.3 million active subscribers, ending the month with a 36% share of active subscribers."The recent record pace of active subscribers additions in May is not just due to the general acceptance of past tariff hikes, but when the necessities-linked secondary SIMs return to the system," an industry executive told ET, asking not to be named, referring to high active user adds in May. With the tariff-centric consolidation now behind, future active user additions will be a function of 5G expansion and its adoption, the executive said. Strong subscriber growth by top operators like Jio creates a favourable environment for future tariff increases, according to brokerage Jefferies. It noted that Vodafone Idea's continued user losses may drive further market share gains for Airtel and Jio, boosting monetisation through tariff adjustments for the two telcos. Future tariff hikes, however, may see a more tiered approach after telcos raised base plans by 11-23% in July 2024, experts said, adding expectations are tempered on the quantum of hikes expected later this said the lower end of the subscriber base is already facing significant stress due to the sharp increase in basic plan prices. Targeting future hikes in middle and upper-level plans will lead to consolidation, instead of attrition, they said. "It is likely that tariffs go up 10-12%...Future hikes are also unlikely to be uniform across all customer segments. There is a strong case for hiking prices primarily for middle and upper-band users," said another telecom industry analyst, requesting anonymity. Differentiated price hikes could see more pricing categories based on data usage, data speeds, or specific timings of high data usage, or even for users who consume very little data, experts said. "We expect Indian telecom industry's revenue growth to remain in double digits over FY25-27, led by tariff hikes and customers upgrading to bundled plans," BNP Paribas said. Top Airtel and Vi executives have also backed a change in the tariff structure. Airtel MD Gopal Vittal, in a recent earnings call, said the current tariff structure is broken, with a 1-size-fits-all pricing model which is not appropriate for user upgradation.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Who is Vaibhav Taneja, Indian-origin Tesla CFO declared Treasurer of Elon Musk's party?
Image credits: X Elon Musk , the world's richest man and a former close advisor and ally of the American President Donald Trump has had quite a time paving a lane away from his former supporter and slowly creating a stand against everything he previously sponsored. While he has been vocal on X about the POTUS's actions like the Big Beautiful Bill recently made a big move against him by launching his very own political party- America Party. According to the screenshots of the FEC form viral on social media, the America Party is headquartered at 1 Rocker Road, Hawthorne and Musk's name is mentioned as the single candidate. Under the form, Indian-origin Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja is listed as the treasurer and the custodian of records, with a Texas address being listed as his. Who is Vaibhav Taneja and how is he so close to Musk? Know all about him below! Who is Vaibhav Taneja? Image credits: X Vaibhav Taneja is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Tesla. The 47-year-old assumed the role in August 2023 after the departure of Zach Kirkhorn. Taneja joined the company in 2017 through its acquisition of SolarCity, where he was serving in a senior finance role. He began as an Assistant Corporate Controller and rose to the ranks of Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, and now Chief Financial Officer. Over the years has played an eminent role in its financial operations and accounting. Before SolarCity, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for almost 17 years in both India and the United States. In terms of education, he holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi in India and qualified in chartered accountancy from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 2000 and became a certified public accountant in 2006. Recently, he also came into light due to his viral compensation package of a whopping $139 million in 2024, surpassing top CEOs such as Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai. Much of his package consists of stock options and equity grants which were issued upon his promotion to CFO in August 2023. With over 17 years of experience in technology, retail and telecommunication, Taneja is a master of US GAAP, financial statement audits and SEC filings. He has gradually gained experience through various positions and risen in rank at successful multi-national companies.
The Hindu
38 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Common goals: On India and a five-nation tour
On his way to Brazil to attend the ongoing BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made back-to-back bilateral visits to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Argentina. Each stop was with a view to enhancing bilateral cooperation in fields which included some common themes on pharmaceuticals and vaccines, digital technology, food security and critical minerals. In Accra, India-Ghana ties were upgraded to a comprehensive partnership, with discussions on helping Ghana become a 'vaccine hub' for West Africa. In the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, there was a major MoU on 'Indian pharmacopeia', to improve access to quality and affordable generic medicines from India. In Buenos Aires, President Javier Milei agreed to enhance cooperation on critical minerals as well as Argentina's vast reserves of shale gas and oil, while India pitched its pharma to Argentina. The three stops were in countries of the 'developing world' or the Global South, and the onward journey to Brazil, and then to Namibia, also highlight India's commitment to building alternative economic mechanisms to the 'developed world' or Global North. India's offer of cooperation for low-cost solutions to global challenges includes the promotion of India-led international organisations such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to these countries. Mr. Modi also made his signature pitch to the Indian diaspora — his speech in the Port of Spain, where Indian labour was brought by British colonial ventures since 1845, is one to note. Referring to the Indian ancestry of President Christine Carla Kangaloo and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Mr. Modi said that the 35 million Indian diaspora worldwide were India's 'pride'. It is also impossible to escape the deep connections between India and the five nations in terms of political history. Each country shares a bond — colonies that suffered under British, Spanish, Portuguese and German forces — and why some of them joined the Non-Aligned Movement. They have all, at various points, committed to building South-South cooperation, and India and Brazil's role in founding the BRIC mechanism, along with Russia and China, and IBSA with South Africa, was an outcome, strongly pitching the interests of the Global South. None of the countries on the tour can be called 'anti-West', and New Delhi has had some differences with them over specific conflicts (Ukraine and Gaza). The motivating force behind the ties, however, and consequently Mr. Modi's nine-day itinerary, is more about a common desire to look beyond the present global order to one that is more equal, representative, and sensitive to the needs of developing and under-developed nations.
