Airtel Responds to Criticism, Maintains Priority Postpaid Service Compliant with Net Neutrality Framework

Bharti Airtel Defends Priority Postpaid Plan Against Net Neutrality Allegations

Bharti Airtel has submitted a communication to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) stating that its new 5G slicing-based "priority postpaid" complies with net neutrality norms and does not compromise network performance for prepaid subscribers.

According to the company, the rollout adheres to Trai and DoT regulations and involves "no blocking, throttling or preferential treatment" of any content or application. Airtel emphasized that it is in full compliance with TRAI regulations, DoT license conditions, and relevant IT, 3GPP, and TEC norms.

The company's communication, sent to the DoT on May 25, was in response to criticism following the launch of the priority postpaid plan on May 19. Industry observers had alleged that Airtel's use of 5G network slicing technology could breach net neutrality principles by offering enhanced connectivity to postpaid subscribers.

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Airtel rejected these allegations, describing the service as a network-efficiency enhancement aimed at improving customer experience without discriminating against any category of users or content. The feature neither blocks nor throttles internet traffic and does not provide preferential access to any application, website, OTT platform, or online service.

5G Slicing Technology Explained

5G slicing, or network slicing, is a technology that lets telecom operators divide a single 5G network into separate virtual networks for different services. Each "slice" can offer specific performance levels, such as faster speeds or lower latency, allowing operators to optimize network use and provide customized experiences for users or applications.

Network Utilization and Capacity

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According to sources, Airtel's 5G network operates well below full capacity, with overall 5G network utilization peaking at around 38 percent. Postpaid traffic accounts for only about 4 percent of that load.

Airtel also told the DoT that live network data and trial performance indicate that the offering has improved quality of service without affecting prepaid users.

Investment in Network Infrastructure

Airtel has invested nearly Rs 83,000 crore in network infrastructure over the last three years to strengthen service quality and coverage. The operator also underscored the commercial importance of maintaining strong prepaid user experience, noting that those subscribers account for 92 percent of its mobile customer base and contribute around 88 percent of total revenue.

Global Acceptance of Network Slicing

Airtel positioned network slicing as a globally accepted technology framework, saying more than 100 use cases have already been documented worldwide. According to Airtel, countries including the US, UK, Singapore, and Malaysia have commercialized 5G slicing services.

Increase in Wireless Data Consumption

In its Q4 earnings, Airtel reported a 32.8 percent year-on-year increase in wireless data consumption, with average monthly usage rising to 31.4 GB per subscriber.