What is 5G network slicing used by Airtel ‘Priority Postpaid’ and why it has triggered a net neutrality debate

Bharti Airtel’s rollout of a premium 5G “Priority Postpaid” service has ignited a fresh debate over net neutrality in India, prompting scrutiny from the government and telecom regulator.

Airtel earlier this week announced “Priority Postpaid”, describing it as India’s first commercial deployment of a 5G slicing-based service for mobile users.

The service is being rolled out automatically to Airtel postpaid subscribers using compatible 5G standalone smartphones with updated software.

According to Airtel, the service uses 5G network slicing technology to provide postpaid customers “a superior, more reliable and dependable experience” during periods of network congestion.

“Priority Postpaid is our latest innovation powered by 5G slicing technology,” Airtel MD and CEO Shashwat Sharma said while announcing the service.

What is 5G network slicing?

Under the technology, a single physical 5G network can be divided into multiple virtual and independent logical networks, or “slices”.

Each slice can be configured with different performance parameters such as bandwidth, latency, reliability and security, depending on the intended use case.

For example, one slice may be optimised for high-speed mobile broadband, another for low-latency applications such as autonomous vehicles or remote surgery, while another may prioritise enterprise services.

In practice, the telecom operator decides how each slice functions and allocates resources accordingly.

Globally, telecom operators in countries including the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Malaysia have introduced slicing-based services.

Why has the service triggered controversy?

The launch, however, has triggered concerns among some industry observers and consumer advocates over whether offering enhanced connectivity to one category of users could violate net neutrality framework.

India’s net neutrality rules prohibit telecom operators from discriminating against internet content, applications, services or platforms through blocking, throttling or paid prioritisation.

Critics argue that while Airtel may not be prioritising specific content or applications, it is still prioritising one class of users over another by offering premium-quality connectivity to postpaid customers.

Apar Gupta, founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, told businessline that the offering does not currently amount to a net neutrality violation because it does not discriminate between internet content or applications.

However, the larger concern is whether users on lower-tier plans could eventually receive poorer service quality.

Telecom consultant Mahesh Uppal said India’s operators have relatively limited spectrum holdings compared to mature markets.

" In that regard, the new plan is a regulatory concern since low-paying customers could experience a fall in quality,” businessline quoted Uppal as saying.

What is Airtel’s defence?

Airtel wrote to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on May 25 asserting that the offering fully complies with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulations, DoT licence conditions and relevant technical standards.

“Airtel is in full compliance with TRAI regulations, DoT licence conditions and relevant IT, 3GPP and TEC norms. Priority Postpaid has been expressly designed to remain within India’s net-neutrality framework,” the company said in its communication to the DoT, according to Moneycontrol.

Airtel reportedly said the feature neither blocks nor throttles internet traffic and does not provide preferential access to any application, website, OTT platform or online service.

The telecom operator described the offering as a network-efficiency enhancement intended to improve customer experience without compromising service quality for prepaid users.

According to sources cited by Moneycontrol and The Economic Times, Airtel informed authorities that its 5G network currently operates at around 38% capacity, while postpaid traffic accounts for only about 4% of total load.

“Prepaid and other non-Priority traffic continues to have additional headroom to roughly 60 per cent of total capacity, making it clear that Priority Postpaid does not and cannot cause degradation for prepaid users,” Airtel reportedly told the DoT.

The company also said it has invested nearly ₹83,000 crore in network infrastructure over the past three years and has multiple options to expand capacity further through additional spectrum, new sites and more 5G sectors.

What are regulators doing?

DoT and Trai are now examining whether the offering complies with net neutrality norms and whether prioritisation of postpaid users could impact service quality for prepaid customers.

The matter has also drawn scrutiny from a Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

According to ET, rival telecom operators have expressed differing views before the authorities.

Reliance Jio is understood to have said that network slicing itself is a legitimate 5G capability, but such products should be launched only after consultation with the telecom department and subject to safeguards ensuring that ordinary users do not suffer degraded internet quality.

Vodafone Idea, meanwhile, reportedly argued that such plans should be put on hold until there is greater regulatory clarity.